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Seven

Seven

Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Envy. Wrath. Pride. Lust.

1995127 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
David Fincher
Starring
Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Cassini

Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Seven?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Seven streaming on Paramount+.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Seven?

Seven earns 17 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Stood the test of time.

Show 9 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Seven worth watching?

Seven's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 6.1M ratings across 6 sources. 95% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

85 /100

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 1990s

Critics 65 · Audience 86

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

95% liked it

99th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 1990s
95% rated it 7–105% rated it 1–6

Critics 84% · Audience 95%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 29 wins / 43 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Film Editing
  • NominatedBAFTA Awards· Best Screenplay - Original

99th percentile

6.1M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 22% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$33M
Opening weekend$14M
Domestic gross$102M
Worldwide gross$330M

Returned 10.0× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Seven is a dark, grim serial-killer thriller with a deliberate pace and a shocking ending that divides audiences on whether its bleakness is masterful or off-putting.

Fans praised

  • atmospheric cinematography and rain-soaked visuals
  • intelligent screenplay and morally provocative plot
  • superb performances by Freeman, Pitt, and Spacey

Detractors panned

  • excessive gloom and murky visuals hinder engagement
  • meandering plot with a twist that makes little sense
  • nihilistic tone and misogynistic undertones

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive90

oppressively grim and chilling world-building

ActingDivisive88

Freeman and Pitt praised for chemistry; Spacey chilling in brief role

TensionDivisive85

relentless, anxiety-inducing; detractors find it tiresome

CinematographyDivisive84

dark, rain-soaked, beautifully grim visuals; some call murky

EndingDivisive82

shattering, unforgettable, uncompromising; detractors call unacceptable

CharactersDivisive75

contrasting detective archetypes with depth; killer as intelligent antagonist

Plot and storyDivisive74

clever serial-killer puzzle using seven deadly sins but lapses in logic

PacingDivisive70

deliberate tension-building; detractors find it meandering

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Seven like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its grim subject matter with unflinching seriousness, maintaining a cold and oppressive atmosphere throughout.
The rideAn unbroken atmosphere of dread and tension that escalates steadily; the ending delivers a devastating, emotionally crushing blow.
StructureThe story follows a conventional linear structure from investigation to climax, with events unfolding in cause-and-effect order.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe grim atmosphere and shocking conclusion leave a lasting sense of unease and despair that lingers well after the credits roll.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTwo detectives track a serial killer who murders based on the seven deadly sins, building to a confrontation that forces them to confront evil and their own morality.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% (this title) · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsFate · 1% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates whether conventional justice can confront evil that operates outside moral boundaries, ultimately suggesting that the pursuit of justice can be corrupted into vengeance.
StanceThe film mourns the failure of justice and the world's capacity for apathy, as embodied by Somerset's closing lament.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalWildernessStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Howard Shore
SettingAn unnamed, perpetually rain-soaked metropolis that feels both contemporary and timeless, decaying and morally exhausted.
MusicShore's score combines a mournful main theme with industrial, percussive elements that mirror the city's oppressive atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Seven okay for kids?

R

Seven is rated R: “Rated R for grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong language” (MPAA). As of October 23, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (93/100), sexual content at moderate (45/100), language at severe (88/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (34/100) and frightening material at severe (95/100). Overall it is heavier than 93% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 33 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaR 18+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • JapanR18+
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil14
  • Argentina18
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary18
  • ID21+
  • IndiaA
  • Israel18
  • ItalyT
  • LU16
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • PhilippinesR-18
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/16
  • SingaporeM18
  • South Africa16
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye16+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 96% of all filmsHeavier than 93% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 92%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 44%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 88%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 30%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material, violence, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Seven have?

MovieCove's classifier found 8 depicted content warnings in Seven: Gore or body horror (severe), Torture (severe), Self-harm (moderate), plus 5 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory (behind the spoiler gate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorTorture
ModerateSelf-harm

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Seven?

Cast

Morgan Freeman
as Somerset
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brad Pitt
as Mills
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Gwyneth Paltrow
as Tracy
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
John Cassini
as Officer Davis
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Peter Crombie
as Dr. O'Neill
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Reg E. Cathey
as Dr. Santiago
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
R. Lee Ermey
as Police Captain
Daniel Zacapa
as Detective Taylor at First Murder
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Andrew Kevin Walker
as Dead Man at 1st Crime Scene
BAFTA nominee: BAFTA Award nomination — Best Screenplay - Original
George Christy
as Workman at Door of Somerset's Office

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Seven?

Movies like Seven include The Killing Gene (2007), 8MM (1999) and Gone Baby Gone (2007). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories about detectives, and most are investigation stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its subject: justice. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Seven?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.