Parents' Guide to

Seven

Movie R 1995 127 minutes
Seven Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Elliot Panek , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 17+

Grim, slick, shocking thriller. Older teens only.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 17+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 22 parent reviews

Joe J.
Joe J. Adult
March 9, 2017
age 15+

"What's in the box?!"

227770
227770 Parent of 10 and 13-year-old
January 5, 2023
age 12+

Become vengeance, David, become wrath.

Great movie well done directed from Fincher. It isn’t too serious and can have some light hearted moments such as the funny dinner scene. It also has great but brutal murders, amazing cinematography, great acting, and atmosphere.
See all 22 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SEVEN combines horror and film noir genres, with overconfident rookie David Mills (Brad Pitt) as the doomed detective of the noir tradition, and book veteran William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) as the desexualized, pedantic survivor familiar to slasher movie fans. The story follows the archetypal pair as they wind their way through a dark world of urban violence in search of a serial killer (Kevin Spacey). Mills and Somerset conclude that each murder corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins from the Bible, and that the killer is trying to preach his message of religious morality through his murders and the press they receive. Even after being willfully apprehended, the killer has one final trick up his sleeve -- a horrific gesture designed to goad Mills into crossing the line between lawful justice and sinful vengeance.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (22 ):
Kids say (67 ):

Dark, disturbing and occasionally gory, Seven is a psychological thriller that, along with Chinatown, is among the bleakest films in mainstream cinema history.

The murders are not shown on screen, but the film has a morbid fascination with the pain inflicted on the victims. And it depicts a dark universe, where the lines between good and evil are blurred. There's no question that it aims to be more philosophical than other detective/horror films (namely The Silence of the Lambs). Attempts at deeper meaning might be pretentious or profound, depending on how serious you can take Brad Pitt as an actor.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about horror movies. How is this movie different than a slasher film? What makes it disturbing? Is it any less chilling because the violence is not shown on screen?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: January 1, 1995
  • On DVD or streaming: June 7, 2001
  • Cast: Brad Pitt , Gwyneth Paltrow , Morgan Freeman
  • Director: David Fincher
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors
  • Studio: Warner Bros.
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 127 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong language.
  • Last updated: February 28, 2022

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