Blu-ray Review: Se7en (1995)

"A 90's masterpiece."

(aka What's in the Box!)
Release Date: September 22nd, 1995.
Country: USA.
Rating: R.
Written by: Andrew Kevin Walker.
Directed by: David Fincher.
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, and Kevin Spacey.

It's hard to believe that this David Fincher classic came out 21 years ago, and it's even harder to believe that it still plays as flawlessly today as it did back then. Se7en is a timeless flick, and maybe the best Serial Killer movie that has ever been made. It's a modern day classic, plain and simple.

In a nameless city (that we're pretty sure is Seattle, because it rains all the time), and in an era that we can't quite pinpoint, Detective Somerset is just about to retire to the country, where he can live in peace and leave the cesspool of death and apathy behind. The city is a shithole, and he just can't take anymore.

"THIS CITY IS SUCH A SHITHOLE THAT IT MAKES ME CRY!"

Before he goes though, Somerset is forced to partner with the newly arrived, idealistic detective David Mills, to tackle one last case. Someone is staging some elaborate, gruesome murder scenes, that are somehow, very subtly, tied to the seven deadly sins.

THAT LOOKS SUBTLE TO US.

As Mills and Somerset work to find the killer and stop his preachy reign of terror, the murders get nastier, and they both find themselves becoming part of a larger plan, which involves them sinking deeper and deeper into the skanky mire that is the city, and probably dying.

Chilling excellence ensues.

WE'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE EITHER, BRAD.

Se7en is not only one of the best movies that we've ever seen, but it's also one of the darkest mainstream movies that has ever come out of Hollywood. It's bleak, disturbing, and the air of doom that hangs over its rainy, nameless city, and the tortured characters that inhabit it, feels absolutely genuine.

Se7en is David Fincher's 2nd film, and unlike his first effort (the unfairly maligned Alien 3), he doesn't play one false note during this one's 127-minute runtime. Not one. It's visually stunning, the pacing is perfect, the cast is impeccable, and it's as heartbreaking as it is horrifying. And we love that unlike like so many other Serial Killer movies, this one doesn't end when the killer is caught. In fact, you could argue that Fincher takes things to a new level once that reveal happens, and that new level is even darker and more disturbing than the the one that the rest of the film has operated on for the previous 90-minutes. Se7en is a compelling Mystery, and an intense Thriller, but it's really the journey the detectives go on to find a killer, and what it does to them both, that is the heart of the movie.

Fincher went on to do some excellent movies after Se7en, but as much as we love his Zodiac and Fight Club, they never quite approach this movie's level of perfection. 

CLEVER BASTARD.

Do we even need to say how great Morgan Freeman is in this one? He's an excellent actor in general, but for our money, Se7en was his finest hour. Same goes for Brad Pitt. As prolific as their careers have been, and with all of the great performances that both have given over the years, we always seem to come back to Se7en when we think of their best work. The guy who played the killer (whom we won't name here, just in case you're yet to have the pleasure of seeing this movie), isn't too shabby either.

And how can you not love R. Lee Ermey.

"THIS IS NOT EVEN MY DESK."

Just about every Serial Killer flick that has come along since Se7en was released back in 1995 has paled by comparison. This movie ruined the Serial Killer sub-genre for us! *Not really, but it did set the high bar that we're still waiting for another movie of its kind to reach, let alone surpass.

SURPASS THE BAR WE SET? LOL!

What was in the box?!?

DEEP INSIDE, WE KNOW WHAT WAS IN THE BOX. WE JUST DON'T WANT TO ADMIT IT.

The crime scenes in this movie provide all kinds of twisted gore and viscera.

NOW THAT IS SOME TWISTED SHIT.

Nothing naked or sexy to see here.

ALTHOUGH BRAD PITT IS QUITE SEXY. NO HOMO.

David Fincher and his crew put a lot of effort into making Se7en the brilliant film that it is, and Warner Bros. put just as much effort into this Blu-ray transfer, which is equally brilliant. The black levels are deep and crush free, it's all kinds of grainy, and the level of detail throughout is pristine. It all looks fantastically filmic, just as it was intended to.

The 7.1 lossless audio track is equally impressive.

Special Features:

There's lots of bonus material on this disc, our favorite feature being the commentary with Fincher, Morgan Freeman, and Brad Pitt.

• Four audio commentary tracks:
  • Stars commentary, with director David Fincher and actors Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.
  • Story commentary, with Fincher, author Richard Dyer, screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, editor Richard Francis-Bruce and New Line president of production Michael De Luca.
  • Picture commentary, with Fincher, director of photography Darius Khondji, production designer Arthur Max, editor Richard Francis-Bruce and author Richard Dyer.
  • Sound commentary, with Fincher, sound designer Ren Klyce, composer Howard Shore and author Richard Dyer.
• Additional/extended scenes.
• Alternate endings.
• Exploration of the opening title sequence from multiple video angles with various audio mixes and two commentary tracks.
• Production design and still photographs with commentaries.
• The Notebooks: Full motion video details "John Doe´s" writings.
• Theatrical trailer.

I OWN THIS DIGIBOOK VERSION, BUT THE DISC INSIDE IS THE SAME NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF PACKAGING IT COMES IN.

Se7en is one of those movies that we can watch over and over again, and love at the same level each time. In our eyes, it's just about as flawless as a film can get, and it's one that needs to be in every Horror lovers collection. And Blu-ray is truly the only way to see it.

A+

Se7en is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD.

This is the best movie that Gwyneth Paltrow ever starred in.