Its not long before Mills and Somerset are asked to forge an uncomfortable allegiance.
A sadistic killer has embarked on a series of gruesome crimes and targets victims with no obvious link.
A morbidly obese man is tied up and forced to eat himself to death.
A high profile lawyer is coerced into cutting off a pound of his own flesh.
Mills, whose enthusiasm far outstrips his intellect, is stumped.
The quiet, scholarly Somerset, meanwhile, spots the connection with a brief trip to the library.
But despite Somersets intelligence, the bodies continue to mount, the criminal always one step ahead.
Picking up diamonds on a deserted island, saving them in case we get rescued.
Sevencontinues along similarly bleak lines, as Mills and Somerset are outwitted at almost every turn.
WhileSevens screenplay is well-written, its plot is fairly formulaic if its sadistic crimes are overlooked.
And for all the horrific moments suggested bySevens crimes, Fincher remains restrained throughout.
Fincher is also wise enough to offset his darker scenes with ones of unexpected beauty.
Its the quality ofSevens production and acting that makes it such an engaging genre classic.
InAlien3, Sigourney Weavers weary heroine Ripley is as much an alien as the titular creature.
Their reactions to that decay may be different, but their opinions are not.
As other, lesser genre thrillers pass into the landfill of movie history,Sevenremains largely undiminished.
The Film:
Sevenis out now on Blu-ray andavailable from the Den Of Geek Store.
