More than three decades after Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman went hunting for a serial killer in one of the darkest thrillers of the 1990s, Se7en is having another moment.
The 1995 crime thriller is currently one of the most-watched movies on HBO Max worldwide, landing at No. 7 (how fitting, right?) on FlixPatrol’s streaming chart for Oct. 14. It sits among a mix of newer movies and other established titles, proving that David Fincher’s bleak thriller still has an audience 31 years after its theatrical release.
Se7en is hardly an obscure movie that suddenly resurfaced. It’s long been regarded as one of the defining thrillers of its era, but its appearance near the top of HBO Max’s worldwide chart is still an impressive feat with so much new material swirling around the streamer.
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman Investigate a Killer’s Twisted Plan
Pitt stars as Detective David Mills, a young homicide detective who moves to a new city with his wife, Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow), and joins forces with veteran detective William Somerset (Freeman).
The two quickly find themselves investigating a series of gruesome murders connected by one disturbing idea: The killer is basing his crimes on the seven deadly sins.
As Mills and Somerset work their way through the investigation, each discovery brings them closer to a killer who has carefully planned his crimes and seems to be anticipating their every move.
Kevin Spacey plays the elusive John Doe, while Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey and John C. McGinley round out the cast.
Directed by Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker, Se7en isn’t a conventional police thriller. Its deliberately grim atmosphere and increasingly disturbing investigation make it as much a psychological experience as a murder mystery.
And, of course, there’s the ending. More than 30 years later, Se7en remains one of those movies where even people who haven’t seen it probably know something about its famously shocking finale.
‘Se7en’ Has Long Been Considered One of the Great Thrillers
The movie’s reputation hasn’t faded with age.
ScreenRant recently included Se7en in a roundup of essential ’90s thrillers, describing it as a “near-perfect ’90s thriller.” The publication points to the movie’s atmosphere, performances, and unsettling approach to the serial-killer genre as reasons it has remained so influential.
That’s hardly the only major accolade Se7en has picked up over the years.
The film also has a reputation among the greatest thrillers ever made, with StudioBinder ranking it No. 6 on its list of the greatest thriller movies of all time. The movie also holds an 84% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.6/10 rating on IMDb.
Why ‘Se7en’ Still Works 31 Years Later
There’s a reason Se7en doesn’t feel like a forgotten ’90s thriller.
Fincher doesn’t rely on nonstop action to keep the tension high. Much of the movie is built around Mills and Somerset examining crime scenes, following clues and gradually realizing how elaborate John Doe’s plan really is.
The contrast between the detectives also gives the movie another source of tension. Mills is younger, more emotional and eager to make an impact, while Somerset is nearing retirement and has become increasingly cynical about the work.
Pitt and Freeman play those opposing perspectives against each other throughout the investigation, giving the movie a character-driven element beneath its gruesome premise.
And let’s be honest: everything old is new again and everything old is cool again. This falls in the nostalgic line, and we’re not mad about it.
