Se7en — Why Less Is More

Absolutely one of the best movies

The lust scene really got me 😳

"Se7en could've been easily very bad"
Glimmer Man (1996) is what a "bad Se7en" will look like

i loved this movie, but seeing gwyneth's head in the box would've been funny af

New filmmakers should look up at Se7en. Well, already done, it has become a reference that you quote, hence the Batman trailer.

Beautiful analysis on a great film!

This less is more shit is based on primitive instincts that people still can left back

Great video! Only criticism would be for not pronouncing the title as "se-seven-en"...

What’s so interesting about this film is that the typical saying with films is the “show but don’t tell” motto. However, this is one of those films that takes a reversal on it decides to tell and not show. It’s the fact that we have to imagine all of the murders in our mind, but I feel like that’s one of the movie’s biggest strengths. It makes things a whole lot more disturbing than if they had just showed everything.

I also love Somerset’s arc in the film. I love how he goes from someone who cannot wait to leave the city to someone who is willing to fight against the corrupt people of it. That’s great writing.

simply the greatest crime thriller movie ever made.

What ever happended to this channel A Matter of Film? This is probably my favorite channel, and he hasn't done any videos in two years. This person knows how to write and analyze a film.

The most perfect ending in cinema history. Fincher's work. The original script has an absolutely cliché and forgettable ending

The entire final sequence, from the trip through the desert and the killer monologue to the delivery of the box, is worthy of Hitchcock and vaguely reminiscent of the plane scene in North by Northwest. Mills' despair at guessing the contents of the box is heartrending. His hesitation at contemplating the fact that his life is over and that the only emotionally logical alternative is to end it once and for all by murdering John Doe is even more painful.

Understanding all this, Sommerset tries to dissuade him but doesn't try to stop him. He knows the killer won and has proved his point

Masterpiece

My favorite film... one of my favorite videos I have it saved to come back and look at this every once un awhile thank you!

Not saying "this is what the movie is about", but the main reason I keep coming back to Se7en every couple of years, is the dynamic between Mills and Somerset. They personify the struggle between optimism and pessimism that is very familiar to all of us. We can't afford to sink into pessimism or we will no longer find joy in anything. But remaining an energetic optimist in a world that seems like it is out to get you is difficult, and some will see your optimism as a weakness they can exploit.

There are other movies that have done this very dynamic. Hell, there are other COP movies that have done it. But the strength of the actors and the sheer style and the subject matter of Se7en just brings that dynamic to life better than other films.

I've read old drafts of Se7en, and there are definitely some parts I wish they'd left in. Somerset in particular has a subplot about a new house he's renovating outside of the city, so he carries around a wallpaper swatch with him as a reminder that he's getting out soon. That's why his last on-camera line "I'll be around" is so tragic. Another interesting change from the early scripts that I'm glad they changed is that in the car scene near the end, John Doe was originally in the front seat with Mills in the back. They moved him to the back seat with a divider in between to make it appear more like a confession booth. Doe is preaching.

Best movie of all times,change my mind

"The worlds a fine place and worth fighting for" ...Hemingway quote. Somerset answers " I agree with the second part". In spite of whats happened he's oddly optimistic about humanity.

Whoa, spoiler alert

Seven is a movie that defies "show, don't tell" rule. They can't show what John Doe does because it's too horrific to see and/or too slow-paced to be compelling or to fit into a feature-length film. If you can't show, tell it compellingly.

the new Batman def gives off Se7en vibes

Excellent video on what I consider to be Fincher's best film. Looking forward to more content from you!

Good analysis

culture lmao? no thx

I really liked this movies world, because I love rain and an overall dark atmosphere

very nice video! i hate how more popular channels who churn out videos every 3 days write at such a middle school level, yet quality creators like yourself with something original and intelligent to say remain mostly overlooked.

Se7en is an absolute masterpiece and a piece of film that will forever be cherished and used as a masterclass for all

Omg. I never knew he was left out of the poster credits! That’s amazing.

Another film that shows less is more is Exorcist 3.

Great review. One miiiinor nitpick. You DO actually see one murder. Wrath. (Mills kills Doe.) But even that one is done at a bit of a distance, and it isn't really gruesome, just... done in anger.

And yes, this movie is great. In fact, it's perfection, and I predict that in the future (or maybe even now), many will re-visit it and revise its status, and acknowledge it as indeed one of the best - if not THE best - movies of all time.

This video perfectly describes why Seven is my all time favourite movie.

I wish Seven took "less is more" a lot further. Love how Lust and The Box leave the horror to the viewer's imagination. The other Sin Scenes are too graphic.

Se7en is a GD masterpiece

I always loved the movie but never knew why

Why you pick Matrix 3?

What really struck me in Se7en outside of the plot and characters was the scene-building. Gluttony's house and John Doe's apartment especially! Such elaborate atmospheres that all seem to mirror their respectful characters' stories (Mills with the shaky subway and dogs; Somerset with antique furniture, a double bed, and the metronome; the nameless city as a whole with the rain; etc.).

Seven is my favourite movie, but I never saw the ending as optimistic at all

Seven is one of the greatest noir films of all time.

One of the finest movies out there, no doubt. What doesn’t get talked about enough is the fantastic on screen chemistry between Pitt and Freeman, something that is difficult to develop or harness, if not outright impossible if it just doesn’t exist.
These guys were born to play those roles opposite each other.

I completely agree with your analysis of this movie - it'a very well directed, written and acted film. I'm roughly the same age as Brad Pitt so I was in my early 30's when this movie came out. I've watched it probably 10 times and I understand and see more and more what the director, writers and actors meant to convey. This film is easily in my top 10 and I'm sure that when I watch it again I'll learn something new.

Takes place on DarkCity

I know this is his second film of his filmography, but I really don’t feel like Alien3 is his actual first movie, it’s Se7en. Yes Alien 3 David Fincher is credited, but so much drama, constant studio interference, him being fired 3 times, it’s safe bet to agree that Se7en is his first film.

ehh, this is definitely not a "less is more" movie.

The only murder we see is when Mills kills Doe. There are only three murders that involve blood, and we never see the prostitute's bloody body. We don't see anything of Doe's murdering Mills's wife except a cardboard box. We don't see violence; we see the repercussions of violence. But the film is so effective at evoking images in our minds that we see violence where there is none. I love how Fincher directed this film.

I like how pure mills is, he ended Doe's life in a jiff. If he was was not naive, he wouldn't become wrath and would've let Doe tortured.

My theory is that Doe used random hair and blood he had lying around to give the illusion that he killed Tracy. We even see him enter the diner in which Tracy and Somerset talk. Somerset doesn't confirm the contents of the box, but realises that if he sis not reach Mills on time, Doe would get shot and killed by a naive Mills. With no idea about what's really in the box, and assuming the worst, Somerset is quiet after Mills asks him what's in it. I mean, would an agoraphobic woman in a strange city allow random strangers into her house? In the end, Doe becomes master manipulator, making Mills kill not for revenge, bit for nothing in particular, other than Mills' hatred of Doe.