My Dad raised me catholic. We watched this movie together when I was in my mid 20's, I had never fully seen it but he had seen it a few times before. I had told him after, over a bowl, that Mills had lost and allowed John Doe to win. He looked at me bemused and said, "I don't know, I'd feel like I won if that son of a bitch had killed my wife and child!" I then told him that was the point, "to get the man whom he envied to take actions against hin and forget the code he swore to was a win for John Doe. Mills lost, vengeance is not justice, justice is justice and to seek an eye for an eye is not the way of God." My father, still looking bemused took a hit and said he didn't get my thinking. I was raised Catholic, always questioned the text, even while understanding the core concepts, my father never questioned but clung to tradition over true faith. Mills failed and allowed evil to win, the world is worth fighting for, not because it is good, but because we have the choice, through our actions to rise above it.

Se7en has effected me more than any horror movie. This movie is a masterclass in tone, suspense, mystery, evil, hopelessness, and brutal humanity. So much subtlety, so much craft and care. To me it’s his finest movie.

the ending was not intended. it was a studio mandate that the narration be at the end. it was not in finchers orignal vision.

I'm surprised people thought the last line from Se7en was nihilistic.

Maybe that's why I liked this movie so much: It matches my way of being the most optimistically pessimist possible(and some time after I've created this definition, I discovered it's the name of a song). Great video, your work is helping a film student in Brasil.

My interpretation? Seven is a metaphor for our internal struggle between wanting to do good and being tempted to commit evil. Everyone commits sins, it is in our nature, but we also all want to do good. How do we reconcile this contradiction? By trying to purge ourselves of all sin, like John Doe? By giving in to our sinful nature and abandon good, like Mills? Or by coming to terms with our dual nature, like Somerset? That's also why the city, the victims, the police officer that died, and John Doe are nameless. It's so we can better imagine this place as our own hometown, and these people as ourselves or people in our own lives.

Awesome work like always. I love this movie.

I completely agree with the analysis. It is very hard to accept the world as it is (as it has always been): A harsh, painful, magical,and wonderful place. You have to embrace ALL of it, but not give up hope.

Great analysis. On rewatching the movie, I noticed that it is raining in all of the outdoor scenes prior to John Doe turning himself in. After that point the sun is shining. Make of that what you will.

Fincher is a Excellent Director...! Others are simply threatened by him...!

Fascinating, thank you. Love this movie even more now.

Seeing the world as mostly a bad place but still worth fighting for & not giving up is a Black man’s plight. That’s why casting Morgan Freeman was brilliant & apropos

This perfectly sums up and analyzes the movie. I've seen the film multiple times, and coupled with this video, i see the movie as the masterpiece it is.

I really liked this one, one of your best videos in my opinion!

Nice job breaking down the themes. This is a fantastic film and a Masterclass in filmmaking

David Fincher is the one of the best directors out there, however he often fly's under the radar

One of my favorite films ever

Great work as usual, Mr. Thomas.

I've always wondered what would have happened to BPItts character after the events of this film.

Amazing man, love your work!!!

LOVE this insight. Terrific.

I wish I had your analysis powers

The location is Gotham City. Somerset is the twin brother of Lucius Fox.

i have always been strangely drawn towards finch's movies.

Names? His name is Robert Paulson....his name is Robert Paulson....his name is Robert Paulson...

Keep up the great work!

A W E S O M E

You know.... Originally David Fincher didn't want to include the Hemingway quote because it conflicted with his visions of the film. If he had his way it wouldn't even be there but the production houses thought that it would be too grim so they forced him into adding a more optimistic ending.

John Doe has 'Bardach County Jail' on his jumpsuit pause exactly 7.00 to read it, is this a made up name? idk but thought it was interesting

The thing with Se7en is i always enjoyed the film but it always struck me as an incomplete film. this kinda explains why. The lack of identity, setting and such. A lot of important details like the who what or even why is missing and the film gives has an empty space where those details should be. It's not obviously there as explained, but there's a sense that the film could have told or showed more, but didn't.

It's the Absurdist philosophy of Albert Camus.

It wasn't a PD officer- as far as I remember it was a junkie who reached for something, he thought was a gun and shot him...

As I'm watching this, the video currently has 666 views. It's obviously a satanic conspiracy.

The police cars can be seen clearly in some shots, but they simply say 'Police'. The badges and paperwork say Metropolitan and Metropolitan Police Department. The Captain also refers to the department as 'Metro'. I think it's an entirety fictional city. Definitely not NYC because it takes them less than an hour's drive to get to the desert. Also, when Sommerset meets Mills, he comments that he's never seen anyone fought to be transferred to the city. The NYPD would be well sought after. There was a good Reddit post a couple of months back that hypothesizes where The City is.

NEVER TRY TI FIND NAMES IN ANY DAVID FINCHER FILM (FIGHT CLUB OR SE7EN), THEY ARE VERY RARE, FIGHT CLUB ITSELF REVEALED THE MAIN CHARACTER'S NAME AT THE END.

2:37 "a corpse" ?

Get busy livin' or get busy murderin'... eh, doesn't sound as snappy.

Morgan Freeman is one of the best actor ...

Another episode with tangential religious themes, anyone want to take bets on how long it takes until someone tries to start an argument and has to get their comments deleted? I myself take issue with the very concept of the "seven deadly sins" and some of the things considered bad or severely bad on that list, but this really isn't the time or place to talk about it so I'm hoping things remain civil.

When pushed to the limit we all believe good and evil. When given the choice at the edge we all believe evil should be punished. When this moment arrives we share our creators image and exact wrath on evil. The reason that is a sin Is because only god can judge a mans soul.

Marvel’s: Daredevil copied alot of the camera work and tone from Seven.

IMHO, Seven is wa-a-ay overrated. I personally find it way inferior to Fincher's own Zodiac.

Good film but it was a rip off the seventies euro-horror THE DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE where the victims die in the manner of the seven deadly sins. Just as Harry Potter is a rip off of THE WIZARD OF EARTHSEA.