Filmmaker David Fincher has released some of the most beloved thrillers in modern cinema. If “beloved” feels like too strong a term, certainly “dissected” and “explored” would be appropriate. Making the leap from music video to cinema with the contentious Alien³ (1992), all questions about the filmmaker would disappear with his string of projects Se7en (1995), The Game (1997), Fight Club (1999), Panic Room (2002), and Zodiac (2007). While other titles are in various states of restoration, in celebration of its 30th anniversary, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and New Line Cinema are releasing a first-time 4K UHD edition of Fincher and scribe Andrew Kevin Walker’s (The Game; Brainscan) religious allegory Se7en with all the previously available bonus features and custom-designed packaging.
Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is counting down his last seven days until his retirement from the force and is none-too-pleased when he catches a case involving an obese individual having been force-fed to death. He’s even less pleased to be working the case with his replacement, Detective Mills (Brad Pitt), a hothead new to the city and eager to prove that he’s not in over his head. However, as additional bodies begin to appear, the detectives realize that this is the work of a methodical and patient individual whose initial victims are merely the start of a grand plan with an incisive message.
With this being a 30th anniversary, first-time 4K UHD edition, we’re going to start with comparing this release to past releases before getting into the film itself.
The packaging for this edition is different than the recent 4K UHD releases WB Home Entertainment (WBHE) has put on shelves. Rather than the typical black plastic 4K UHD case with a basic liner, the single 4K UHD disc is encased in a digipak-like case that’s decorated with a variety of still shots from the film, held together by a magnet, and encased within a horizontal slipcover. While the slip offers about as much protection as one expects from a paper slip, there is a thickness and weight to the digipak that offers not only surprising heft to the packaging, but the suggestion of protection for the disc. This set isn’t as elaborate the 2000 DVD limited edition set that was designed after John Doe’s (Kevin Spacey) notebooks, however, those who are either Fincher fans or looking for something unique in their 4K UHD editions won’t be totally disappointed either. Of course, it being contained in a digipak means that it slides in and out of the material, making it more prone to scratching than a traditional case. Absolutely a situation of form over function and worth noting when considering the pick-up.
SE7EN digipak. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Be advised that there is a steelbook edition with a similar visual design to the digipak, as well as other, more complex, iterations of the 4K UHD edition that can be picked up which include a variety of physical materials and keepsakes (though their respective availability seems to be questionable at the time of this writing). As those were not provided by WBHE, they will not be discussed here.
Having mentioned the 2000 edition, be mindful that all of the bonus features included with the 4K UHD edition originate with the initial DVD release. The bright side is that *everything* is included and it covers behind-the-scenes materials, a look at the ending of the film in two ways, the making of the home edition, plus four unique commentary tracks, and more. The downside is that there’s nothing new here and it’s all included on the 4K UHD disc. Why is this a downside? Because when you watch the three-part “Mastering for the Home Theater” (now combined into one) they’re talking about the initial DVD release remastering and not the 4K UHD edition. We know from the press release that this edition was sourced from the original camera negative and supervised by Fincher, but we are given nothing beyond that. Additionally, placing all of the featurettes and bonus features onto the 4K UHD disc means that they take up precious space where the film data should be. On the whole, and we’ll get more into this in a moment, the on-disc presentation is a solid improvement, in most cases, but the bitrate tells a vastly different story with it heavily oscillating between the 50s-70s for most of the film, going as low as the 30s (within standard HD territory that maxes in the 40s) and rarely going into the 100s (higher-end of 4K UHD which maxes in the 120s). The back liner with the release specs states that the special features are in neither 4K UHD or have HDR applied, with an additional note that they may not be high-def, therefore suggesting that the special features were not in any way treated to improve their look or style from the original 2000 DVD release — details which lead one to conclude that the data space hasn’t changed from one release to another (these bonus features are also included on the 2011 Blu-ray). If WBHE had included a solo disc (4K UHD or Blu-ray) of the features, it’s more likely that the bitrate would stabilize within the higher range.
Now, for those who are planning to see Se7en in the limited IMAX theatrical release, you’re most likely going to get the best possible version of the film as the data won’t have to account for the bonus features. Instead, it’ll matter as to whether the IMAX restoration will be presented on film or through digital presentation and, if digital, which compression factors may be at play.
In terms of the restoration itself, to say that the film hasn’t looked better is both a positive and a negative, depending on your perspective. Se7en has sharper detail and a greater range of color with the HDR, resulting in several sequences seeming grimier than normal, one specifically being the exploration through Doe’s apartment. Reds from the various neon or dark room bulbs give off a bloodier look, amplifying the thematic elements conveying the living purgatory the characters exist within. Similarly, the sequence of Somerset going to the library to do research solo much earlier in the film has a more heavenly feel, the greens of the light covers and the browns of the desks and cabinets giving the location a feeling of a forest, a safe haven of information (manifestation of the Garden of Eden, perhaps, and its Tree of Knowledge), amid the brutality of the city. On the other hand, some of the grime comes from the visible grain on the film, which is more or less visible depending on the scene. The reduction may bother audiences who appreciate the grain (both from a maintenance of the period from which the film comes and from a thematic perspective), but is not likely to be heavily missed either. There are smaller changes to color scheme with the use of HDR that are going to be most notable within the use of shadow (climax with Doe in the field), though there are smaller moments wherein the shift is color is only going to be picked up by Se7en devotees (the scene of Mills taking off his socks before curling up with his wife is either green-tinged or blue-tinged depending on which version of the film you watch). For context that dialed-in cinephiles will understand, we’re not talking George Lucas or Wong Kar-wai levels of tinkering here. Overall, there’s not enough to detract from the on-disc presentation in terms of visual and auditory elements to dislike the presentation as a whole, even if it may not feel like it carries over what one remembers from the initial 1995 viewing (in-theater) or at-home on VHS prior to the 2000 DVD release.
If you want to learn about more about the restoration process and Fincher’s use of A.I., head over to his recent interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff.
There are some films that have been part of our collective zeitgeist for so long that one tends to take for granted the precision at play in between watches. For some 30 years, audiences have been talking about Se7en, even if just as a reductive meme of “What’s in the box?!,” taking it from a devastating, so-creepy realization as Doe says, “Oh, he doesn’t know…” to another glib meta-reference. Upon sitting down for a rewatch, one remembers why Se7en so captured audiences. The world of Se7en is cold and mean and audiences can still feel it all the way in their bones all this time later. It’s not just the brilliance of leaving Doe actor Spacey out of the initial credits so as to prevent unaware audiences from realizing who Doe is, therefore making the serial killer literally anyone and, therefore, more terrifying in the process, but the ways in which the entire film is bread-crumbed from start to finish so that we, the audience, can see how the entire mystery was placed before us from the start: Somerset’s apathy a response from the unending violence of the city, Mills’s festering rage at anything that’s not easy (Somerset refusing to recognize his skills immediately; his inability to understand Doe’s lit references; his ease with breaking protocol with the apartment door and paying for a “witness” to cover it), the persistent rain that only lets up when Doe is “caught,” and the halo that appears upon Doe’s crown as the sun rises behind them in the field during the climax. Walker and Fincher didn’t infuse Se7en with style, but with stylized substance which makes each inch of frame purposeful to the narrative and its themes, which is why it continues to resonate with audiences 30 years later; pushing them to ask questions like, “is the unnamed city actually the purgatory from Inferno?,” “Is Somerset an eighth sin as ‘Apathy’?,” and “Is there a terrible inevitability in this story for its outcome or is it a perfect storm situation?.” Doe’s goal seems to be to revitalize the city so that it’s shaken out of its apathy, out of its Sodom and Gomorrah-like sinning, out of its acceptance of violence and survival as the only two modes of living (note the massage parlor operator who acknowledges all that he’s seen and been a part of yet shrugs it off with a “what else can I do?”), and, if one takes the rain metaphorically and the sun shining as evidence of success, what does that mean for the purity of the killings? The end certainly shakes Somerset out of his apathy and possible retirement from law enforcement, but what does it mean for the city at large? Will there be change or will there be more apathy over time? A shock now and then back to business as usual? If the current climate, especially in the U.S., is considered, then Doe’s work may only have worked to reset Somerset back to his belief that law enforcement is more than an ineffectual band-aid, but will soon be forgotten by the populace who go back to business as usual.
There are absolutely elements that don’t age well about Se7en from the transphobic comments Mills makes in regard to their suspect’s possible dress or private actions and it certainly supports the notion that law enforcement isn’t about solving crimes or protecting citizens but about shuffling paperwork and giving adults with issues license to abuse others. But that’s the world that Walker and Fincher created in an anonymous city filled with aimless souls suffering from apathy. So while there are elements that don’t align to today’s standards of social correctness, it is no less a remarkable work whose twists continue to marvel, even when you can identify the breadcrumbs that were missed on an initial viewing. While the 4K UHD edition isn’t as good from a technical perspective as one might hope given the dataspace taken up by all the special features, it’s still a solid restoration for a remarkable film that continues to impress. Admittedly, the digipack is a bit of a turnoff in terms of protecting the disc, so be sure to consider your options (maybe the limited edition steelbook if the larger special edition is out of your price range as that, at least, has a standard disc-holder within it) before buying or be comfortable with the consequences, whatever they may be.
To that end, the film and restoration are recommended, but the case (nice in design as it is) is not for the purpose of disc longevity.
Se7en Legacy Special Features:
- Four (4) Commentaries:
- The Stars: David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman (2:06:48)
- The Story: Richard Dyer, Andrew Kevin Walker, Richard Francis-Bruce, Michael De Luca, David Fincher (2:06:48)
- The Picture: Darius Khondji, Arthur Max, Richard Francis-Bruce, Richard Dyer, David Fincher (2:06:48)
- The Sound: Ren Klyce, Howard Shore, Richard Dyer, David Fincher (2:06:48)
- Six (6) Deleted and Extended Scenes (19:21)
- Two (2) Alternate Endings:
- Original “Test” ending (5:29)
- Animated storyboards of un-shot ending (7:32)
- Five (5) Still Photographs featurettes:
- John Doe’s Photographs (14:27)
- Victor’s Decomposition (2:29)
- Police Crime Scene Photographs (5:39)
- Production Photographs (10:48)
- The Notebooks (8:17)
- Production Designs (8:56)
- Mastering for the Home Theater – Audio Mastering (4:26), Video Mastering (4:13), Color Correction (14:20)
- Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Early Storyboards (featurette)
- Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Rough Version (featurette)
- Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Final Edit (featurette)
- Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Stereo Audio Commentary One – The Concept – Designer Kyle Cooper (featurette)
- Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Stereo Audio Commentary Two – The Sound – Brant Biles & Robert Margouleff (featurette)
- Theatrical EPK (6:24)
In select IMAX theaters January 3rd, 2025.
Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray and digital January 7th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Warner Bros. Pictures Se7en webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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