Top 100 Movies Of The 1990's: #37 Seven
Box Office: $100.1 Million
Oscar Nominations: Best Film Editing
Oscar Wins: None
MovieRankings.Net: 91/100
Available To Stream: Max, Amazon Prime ($4)
My favorite part of Seven is that David Fincher has a movie that is bathed in darkness and claustrophobia yet in its most disturbing scene, it's in a sunny, wide open field. When I first saw this movie, I had rented it from the new releases section at Blockbuster. The ending had me shocked with my hands covering my face like a cartoon character. The "What's in the box?" pleas have become part of pop culture but that's only because it's so effective. Seeing that movie before that ending had been parodied so many times hit you like a Mack truck.
It's a movie that balances horrible things with a cast that is incredibly likable. Brad Pitt is nearly impossible not to root for. Same for Morgan Freeman. This is also Gwyneth Paltrow long before she became the version of herself that sells vagina candles. She's a rare ray of sunlight here. She's only in a couple of scenes but she is without a doubt the heart of the movie. That's also why the ending leaves you emotionally gutted.
This is the first Fincher movie to make this list and it won't be the last. He's such a great director that I barely have this cracking his top five of his career. That's also with Fincher not having directed a really good movie in a decade. Mank was a total bore and while I liked The Killer a lot, there was part of me that felt like I was watching Mickey Mantle playing in double-A. That whole premise was probably not deserving of a genius like him. He's better than that. This is the same guy who directed the most important and relevant movie of the century so far in The Social Network.
Another week, another Kevin Spacey movie. But this is the last one on the list. Honestly, this is the movie that fits who he is now the best. It's not that distracting when he enters the movie at the beginning of the third act because he's a horrible person. Honestly, it was weirder in some ways watching this back after he played good guys in Pay It Forward and K-PAX. Now, it's pretty easy to see Kevin Spacey play someone awful.
People really had issues with the violence in Seven when it came out. Now after movies like Hostel, I won't say Seven is tame but it's not as shocking. In the same vein, rewatching this for the blog…the movie didn't have the same oomph. There are a bunch of reasons for this. I've personally seen the movie a few times so the shocking parts didn't land the same way. It's also a movie that's been copied or at least borrowed from a bunch over the years as well.
Finally, tastes do change as one gets older. Twenty years ago, I would have had this movie much higher on this list. What this movie delivers is less what I want in a movie the older I get. This isn't a Kevin Smith situation where I watch some of his movies and fund myself stunned I ever liked them that much. I still can appreciate Seven. But, I can also see why Fincher moved away from gory psychological thrillers as he matured as a filmmaker.
I may not consider Seven a GREAT MOVIE anymore but it's certainly very good and brilliantly crafted. Most movies wish they could be that.
37. Seven
38. L.A. Confidential
39. Speed
40. Gattaca
41. Misery
42. Tombstone
43. Ransom
44. Wayne's World
45. The Insider
46. Back To The Future Part III
47. A Bronx Tale
48. The People Vs. Larry Flynt
49. Eyes Wide Shut
50. The Sandlot
51. Happy Gilmore
52. Contact
53. The Green Mile
54. Man On The Moon
55. Boyz N The Hood
56. Grosse Pointe Blank
57. Independence Day
58. The Rainmaker
59. Go
60. The Firm
61. Magnolia
62. The Talented Mr. Ripley
63. Tommy Boy
64. The Usual Suspects
65. In The Line Of Fire
66. My Cousin Vinny
67. Awakenings
68. JFK
69. Toy Story
70. Home Alone
71. Jerry Maguire
72. Titanic
73. Billy Madison
74. Apollo 13
75. Braveheart
76. Edward Scissorhands
77. Cape Fear
78. The River Wild
79. What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
80. 12 Monkeys
81. Stir Of Echoes
82. Mission: Impossible
83. Total Recall
84. Quiz Show
85. For Love Of The Game
86. Being John Malkovich
87. Men In Black
88. Scream
89. Alive
90. Three Kings
91. Glengarry Glen Ross
92. Die Hard With A Vengeance
93. The Blair Witch Project
94. Twister
95. Dirty Work
96. Election
97. Tremors
98. Any Given Sunday
99. The Wedding Singer
100. Clerks