Se7en: Brad Pitt's 1995 Thriller Ranked 6th Greatest of All Time by StudioBinder

Rachel SchneiderSun, September 6, 2026 at 6:34 AM UTC

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Before Brad Pitt was fighting zombies, winning Oscars, or charming his way through Ocean’s Eleven, he was hunting a serial killer in one of the bleakest movies to hit Hollywood.

David Fincher’s Se7en arrived in 1995 with Pitt and Morgan Freeman playing detectives pulled into a murder investigation unlike anything they’d encountered before.

More than 30 years later, Se7en is still regarded as a benchmark for the thriller genre. StudioBinder ranks the film No. 6 among the greatest thriller movies of all time, putting it in some seriously impressive company.

Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman Face a Killer With a Twisted Plan

Directed by Fincher, Se7en follows detectives David Mills (Pitt) and William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) as they investigate a series of increasingly disturbing murders.

The killer isn’t choosing his victims at random. Instead, he’s basing each murder around one of the seven deadly sins, turning the investigation into a horrifying countdown as the detectives attempt to figure out what he’s planning before it’s too late.

StudioBinder praises the film for its dark atmosphere and describes it as a thriller that manages to be both “gut-wrenching” and exciting. The publication also notes that Se7en became part of pop culture almost immediately after its release.

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‘Se7en’ Still Holds Up as a Brutal Crime Thriller

What makes Se7en particularly effective is that it doesn’t need to rely on constant action to create tension.

The film is deliberately methodical as Mills and Somerset piece together the killer’s horrifying plan. Every new discovery raises the stakes, while the detectives gradually realize they’re dealing with someone who has thought through virtually every step of his scheme.

Pitt and Freeman also make an excellent pairing. Mills is younger, impulsive, and eager to prove himself, while Somerset is experienced, weary, and preparing to leave the police force behind. Their contrasting personalities give the investigation an additional layer as they attempt to work together.

Then there’s Kevin Spacey’s John Doe, whose identity is kept hidden from audiences for much of the movie.

Without getting into the film’s famously shocking finale, it’s safe to say that Se7en isn’t exactly interested in giving viewers a comfortable resolution.

But that’s part of the point.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Sep 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”