What else can be said about seminal filmmaker David Fincher’s 1995 masterpiece Seven that hasn’t already been mentioned? It’s a bleak, shocking, and scary-as-hell crime thriller that still continues to send shivers down the spines of many film lovers for almost 30 years now. It’s brilliantly shot, amazingly acted, wonderfully written, and somehow frighteningly prescient.
Buy Seven 4K UHDWatching it now, it feels more real than just a highly twisted film about two weary detectives (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) pursuing a sadistic serial killer murdering people using the Seven Deadly Sins. It’s really about how bad and batshit society has (and continues) to be. You feel as the characters do, as they are living in a world that is completely falling apart. You just don’t feel safe, which is what I think Fincher wanted to make us feel. He is an evil genius (and notorious perfectionist).
Each of the murders depicted get more grislier (and more personal) than the next. And it leads to one of the most horrifying (and still talked about) endings in film history. You can see how it influenced many filmmakers since the 1990s. After all, the film is a flawless neonoir about good and evil.
Making its 4K UHD debut this week, I bet it will elevate the film’s striking cinematography, even if it should contain some problematic tweaking. However, since the film is so good and iconic, you may not even notice.
It may not have all the special features from previous Blu-ray and DVD releases, but the ones included still make up a solid round up of bonuses, which contain four commentaries (all with cast and crew); deleted scenes and alternate ending (with commentary); still galleries; exploration of the opening title sequence (with optional commentaries); and more.
This is an obvious 100% recommendation of an all-time classic, one that remains grim, nightmarish, and professionally made. If you don’t have already own previous editions, then this 4K UHD is a real must have.
Other releases:
Yojimbo/Sanjuro 4K UHD + Blu-ray (Criterion): The new 4K release set of a classic two-film samurai saga by legendary director Akira Kurosawa and starring his equally legendary muse, the iconic Toshiro Mifuine.
Let’s Get Lost (Kino): A stylish documentary about the life of jazz trumpeter and drug addict Chet Baker. Contains series of intimate interviews with friends, family, and lovers, interspersed with film from his earlier life and some modern-day performances.
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Kino): A historical document roller coaster that rewrites the Cold War episode that led musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to invade the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
