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. 

Advertisement

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