You might find yourself pleasantly surprised at finding Brad Pitt in a film that’s not about his looks, but Se7en is the one. (I’m kidding, Brad Pitt is an amazing actor with admirable range.) Se7en came out September 22, 1995, surely shocking audiences with a cunning plot and an ending that left you reeling.

Seven is about this insane serial killer who kills people who commit one of the seven deadly sins (gluttony, lust, pride, envy, wrath, greed, and sloth). Played by the skillful actor Kevin Spacey, his character “John Doe” was an exacting, eerily calm, and a mastermind serial killer. I won’t spoil it, but his efforts to complete his job were extensive. He had immense patience and a disturbing delight in murdering people, calling it his “art.”

With such a perverse mind, he was obviously a very detestable character, and we could see how detestable he was to Mr. Bradley Pitt. Pitt played the slightly annoying (extremely annoying), hyperemotional, reactive cop who disdained the very sight of John Doe. Pitt’s character, “David Mills” just moved to this awful neighborhood to join his current police unit and his very first case was this murderous one.

As much as Mills unique personality can be appreciated, he is rather rash and if it weren’t for the help of Morgan Freeman’s character, “Detective Somerset,” this case probably would have been a hard one to solve. Somerset is calm, patient, and deeply curious about his work. He’s supposed to be retiring, but this case piques his interest and inevitably draws him into working on it with Mills. Somerset’s cool head balanced with Mills erratic nature, the two made a wonderful pair of pals.

There are things that these two friends teach each other, but in the end they both never learn. Somerset sees that Mills’ weakness is his inability to control his emotions. When he is upset, he lets his wrath get the best of him. Ironic because that is one of the seven deadly sins, and that is what he-in the end-is brutally punished for by the merciless Doe.

The writing of that, though, was simply mesmerizing. The writers of this script did a wonderful job tying in all the ends, weaving together an intricate web of themes and lessons. The irony of man’s judgment, the foolishness of wrath, the eeriness of a seared conscience, and more. Doe being such a merciless bum was insane seeing that he also committed the seven deadly sins and, of course, murder. But Doe is such a mystical puzzle piece with an insanely outlandish mind that he admits his wrongs, and yet simultaneously excuses himself.

The characters in this film were deeply complex. Doe was a nutcase but an interesting one if I’m being honest. Though I couldn’t help but find Mills a tad bit annoying because of how much of a hard headed hothead he was, he was admirable. He was just. He was always well-meaning. He genuinely had a good heart, and he is respectable for that. And Somerset, though outwardly cool and collected, he was so nuanced-possessing secret regrets at past decisions and yet still retaining a peaceful acceptance about it. Somerset was older, a bit wiser, but nonetheless human and absolutely real.

Not only was the writing well-executed, but so was the movie soundtrack. In a movie, music is instrumental, literally and figuratively. The music is an actor itself. The up-tempo music playing during the scene where Mills was chasing after Doe in the cold, hard rain brings you to the edge of your seat. The music with curious sounds and varying instruments make you feel inquisitive as you see Mills and Somerset rummaging through Doe’s peculiar diaries. As Somerset thinks, the low, classical music slows you down and puts you in his mind. Then, the silence-the moments where there is no sound at all-those are the most poignant.

Even the silence is a song. The movie as a whole was a huge thought-piece. It made you think about how you think and how you judge. In reality, the same hatred that Mills had for Doe was the same hatred that Doe had for the people he killed. What separates them from each other? What makes the other better than the next? Obviously, Mills is not a murderer, but could he possibly be? You’ll see in the end.

Regardless, it makes you question yourself. Oftentimes as humans we can easily point the finger and condemn someone for what they do, but we fail to realize that we do the same thing as them to some degree. It doesn’t mean that a murderer no longer sucks and what he did is no longer wrong. He still sucks and he’s still wrong. 

But, it is interesting to think about how we look at others. Everybody, to some degree, is the same. We are all capable of the same things, it’s just that some people are not willing to go to extreme extents as others. There’s a lot of complex themes that are hard to digest but are interesting to ponder upon.

Se7en is a verifiable masterpiece. Teeming with skillful actors passionate about their craft, paired with an artfully written script full of challenging themes, this movie with its well put together soundtrack is a movie to see. It’s free on Tubi and it’s also available to watch on Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Amazon Prime Video.