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Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds

Seven names. Seven strangers. One secret.

2008123 minPG-13Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Director
Gabriele Muccino
Starring
Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy

An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Seven Pounds?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Seven Pounds streaming on Hulu via Disney+ and Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Subscription

via Disney+

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Seven Pounds?

Seven Pounds earns 12 badges, led by Universally Loved and Cultural touchstone.

Show 4 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Seven Pounds worth watching?

Seven Pounds' Midcredits score is the 90th percentile of all films, from 507K ratings across 6 sources. 83% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

90th percentile

Better received than 90% of films

92nd percentile among Drama89th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)83rd
Approval (how many liked it)93rd

71 /100

83rd percentile of all films

86th percentile among Drama82nd percentile among 2000s

Critics 36 · Audience 74

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

83% liked it

93rd percentile of all films

94th percentile among Drama93rd percentile among 2000s
83% rated it 7–1017% rated it 1–6

Critics 26% · Audience 75%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 4 wins / 7 noms overall

99th percentile

507K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$55M
Opening weekend$15M
Domestic gross$70M
Worldwide gross$170M

Returned 3.1× its budget — 98th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a calculated tearjerker built around a guilt-ridden protagonist's elaborate plan for atonement.

Fans praised

  • Will Smith's raw, emotionally committed performance anchors the film
  • Mysterious nonlinear structure that pays off with a devastating reveal
  • Powerful message of redemption and self-sacrifice that lingers

Detractors panned

  • Manipulative, saccharine melodrama that exploits audience emotions
  • Illogical plot holes and medical inaccuracies undermine credibility
  • Morally troubling glorification of suicide as heroic redemption

What stands out

ActingDivisive78

Smith's committed dramatic performance; Dawson and Harrelson praised in limited roles

Emotional impactDivisive75

Polarizing: fans report deep catharsis, detractors cite manipulation

EndingDivisive65

Polarizing final act; fans call it devastating, detractors find it anti-climactic

Atmosphere60

Blue-toned visual palette effectively conveys melancholy tone

Plot and storyDivisive45

Fragmented mystery structure that divides audiences; many find predictable

PacingDivisive40

Slow buildup with prolonged middle section

OriginalityDivisive35

Derivative of Pay It Forward and Memento-style storytelling

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 13 points higher than critics.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Seven Pounds like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicTenseCathartic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material straight and sincere, treating the protagonist's guilt and sacrifice with earnest gravity.
The rideThe film sustains a low, melancholic tension throughout, builds in the final act toward the suicide, and ends with a cathartic emotional release.
StructureThe film unfolds through flashbacks and fragmented chronology, slowly revealing the protagonist's past and purpose, while the present-day story follows a conventional dramatic arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering mix of sorrow and warmth, prompting reflection on sacrifice, guilt, and the meaning of redemption.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

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).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · 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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeTim's accidental manslaughter and subsequent quest for redemption leads to his self-sacrifice; the story is driven by his secret identity and final act, fitting a tragedy of fate and a rebirth through sacrifice.

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 filmsSelf
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% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · 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% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of filmsGrief · 6% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeA man devastated by the lives he destroyed embarks on a secret, self-destructive plan to earn redemption by saving others.
StanceThe film takes a serious, questioning look at whether extreme sacrifice can truly redeem a life-ending mistake, without celebrating or condemning the answer.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Angelo Milli
SettingLos Angeles area, 2000s
MusicScore is melancholic and understated, supporting the emotional weight without overwhelming key scenes.

Content guide

Is Seven Pounds okay for kids?

PG-13

Seven Pounds is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some disturbing content and a scene of sensuality” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (40/100), sexual content at moderate (42/100), language at moderate (39/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (12/100) and frightening material at moderate (52/100). Overall it is heavier than 42% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15A
  • JapanR18+
  • Brazil12
  • Austria12
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • Greece13
  • Hungary18
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/16
  • Spain12
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 28% of all filmsHeavier than 42% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 39%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 78%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 44%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 12%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 59%

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

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 59% of PG-13-rated films.

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 Pounds have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Seven Pounds?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Will Smith
as Ben
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Rosario Dawson
as Emily
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Woody Harrelson
as Ezra
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Ealy
as Ben's Brother
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Barry Pepper
as Dan
Elpidia Carrillo
as Connie
Robinne Lee
as Sarah
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Bill Smitrovich
as George Ristuccia
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Joe Nunez
as Larry
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sarah Jane Morris
as Susan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Seven Pounds?

Movies like Seven Pounds include Fathers & Daughters (2015), Shershaah (2021) and The Trials of Cate McCall (2013). Of the 8 closest matches, several are whirlwind romances, and half are films set in Los Angeles.

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

4 of these 8 share its praise for emotional impact. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

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

2.2K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: scientist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.