Se7en End Explained (in detail)

Nearly 30 years after the debut of David Fincher’s thriller, The She7en Ending still carries a reputation as one of the most shocking movie finales. The massive and disturbing twist that ends the film cemented its pop culture relevance with even people who hadn’t seen the movie unaware of the ending. Often listed among the most popular thrillers of all time, Se7en Proved to be something of a star vehicle for the then-up-and-coming Brad Pitt. With Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more, rounding out the main cast of the film, David Fincher’s Se7en ending Delivers a mind-blowing conclusion that stays with audiences.

Se7enThe story centers on detectives Somerset and Mills as they hunt for a serial killer at large. Following a trail of murders based on the Seven Deadly Sins eventually leads Mills and Somerset to the villain John Doe. With John Doe in custody, Mills and Somerset agree to be led to the last two victims, only for Doe to reveal himself as the first and Mills as the second. Joe Doe’s deadly plan in Se7en is revealed in its entirety in the final scene, proving that the killer was multiple steps ahead all along.

All Seven Deadly Sins & Murders Explained

How do Mills and John Doe become the final victims?

By the time the audience reaches the end of Se7enThey have witnessed much of John Du’s deadly plan, with each one Based on a different facet of the seven deadly sins. Se7enThe first sin is terrible, and it is in this crime scene that Mills and Somerset first meet. Do’s first victim is unnamed in the film, but he was force-fed by John until his stomach exploded, making him the epitome of gluttony.

Here’s next victim is Eli Gould, a criminal defense attorney forced to cut off a pound of his own flesh, representing the sin of greed in the style of The Merchant of Venice. The next sin is sloth, and here’s third victim is Theodore Allen, a drug dealer, and child abuser. Doe confined Allen to his bed and barely kept him alive for an entire year, taking and leaving pictures to prove Allen’s suffering in accordance with the sin of sin.

The next sin is lust – Doe forces a man at gunpoint to rape an unnamed sex worker using a bladed instrument. After that, Doe goes on to pride, the fifth sin and his next victim is a model named Rachel Slade. Doe mutilates Slade’s face, giving her the option to call for help and live with her disfigurement or end her own life with an overdose of sleeping pills. Slade chooses the latter and becomes here’s fifth murder victim, representing the sin of pride.

The last two victims were revealed only after Do’s arrest. After leading Mills and Somerset to a remote location, a box is delivered for Mills. Taunting the detective, Doe reveals that he killed Mills’ wife, Tracy (and their unborn child), as he envied Mills’ normal life. Detective Mills then kills hereMaking Doe the sixth victim (representing envy) and ensuring Mills becomes the embodiment of the ultimate sin (wrath).

What’s in the box? Se7en ending twist explained

The contents of the box are never displayed

The box contents delivered to Mills in Se7enThe last scene was never shown. However, the film refers to the contents of the box, making it clear exactly what was in the box. John Doe tells Mills that he killed Tracy out of jealousy and – took her beautiful head. This serves as the big twist of the film – that Tracy is dead and Mills was always intended to be the final part of Do’s plan – with Mills’ sudden understanding of the situation enough to push him to kill Do and embody the sin of rage.

Se7ens The ending twist is a relatively simple one, and that’s part of what makes it so effective: although the gruesome contents of the box are never shown (or even explicitly described), it is Made clear that it contained Tracy’s severed headAnd Mills’ actions afterward are most important for Se7ens conclusion.

What Mills killing John Doe means

The good guys don’t really win in the end

Mills’ murder of John Doe is more significant than simply being the seventh murder and the representation of wrath. by killing you, Mills fulfills the killer planMaking death even in death. His own motivations were to shock the world out of its own apathy, and in forcing Mills’ hand, he is able to do that, albeit in a small way. Mills killing Doe brings him down to the murderer’s level which, by Doe’s own logic, proves that no one, even the most admirable person, is above sin.

Why Somerset Doesn’t Retire: Se7en Ending’s Hemingway Quote Explained

Here’s the plan affected Somerset as well

Mills was destroyed in the final moments of Se7enBut the final quote from the film actually evidences a significant change in Somerset as well. Seen as one of the greatest final lines in cinema, Somerset tells “Ernest Hemingway once wrote, ‘The world is a beautiful place and worth fighting for’. I agree with the second part.“The quote, along with Somerset assuring his captain that he would”be around,” evidence that he no longer intends to retire as he did before.

This quote is important because it further proves that John Doe’s actions had the desired effect on his opponents. Not only does he succeed in manipulating Mills, but he also shocks Somerset out of his own apathy, forcing the older detective to reevaluate his choice to retire. See7ins Final moments are left relatively open to interpretation, but the Hemingway quote implies that Somerset decided to fight for the worldAlthough it is not the nice place Hemingway believed it to be.

What’s wrong with the city in Se7en? Why it is so bad to live in

The ruins of the city reflect the biblical themes of the film

The city in Se7en is intentionally left unnamed. The film’s ambiguous setting and regular references to what a terrible place it is are significant to its story, as it is effectively used to conjure the image of purgatory. The seven deadly sins murders of John Doe prove this, as the guilty are punished for it – drawing a parallel with Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”, which itself greatly inspired Milton’s “Paradise Lost”.

The nature of Se7enThe city is used by Doe to justify his crimes, because the people are deemed apathetic, and the murders are intended to shock them into creating a better world. It was also speculated that The city represents a ruined garden of Eden (or a paradise lost, as Dow often refers to it), with the killer seemingly believing that mankind’s sins are to blame for the state of Se7ens city.

What the end of Se7en really means

The movie leaves John Doe as a complex villain

Se7enThe ending is particularly interesting because it not only allows his villain to win but seemingly justifies some of his actions in the process. By manipulating Detective Mills to kill him and bring his plan to success, John Doe wins. This is further proven by Somerset’s decision not to retire because he is shocked by his apathy, which is referred to in an earlier scene where he discusses his reasons for retiring with Mills. This actually paints John Doe as a righteous character, viz Se7enIts ending validates his intentions.

The ending sees the seven sins properly represented and cements the film’s setting as a purgatory-like place, with Somerset staying on as a detective to continue to fight against the evil that John Doe embodies. Throughout the film, Mills is considered Somerset’s successor, and here’s targeting of the young detective is seemingly a way to force Somerset to take stock of himself. This actually paints Somerset as representing Se7ens final (and eighth) sin: apathy. John Doe’s plan sees Somerset continue in his role as a detective, effectively trapping him in purgatory and making him the film’s final victim.

How the ending of Se7en compares to other David Fincher movies

Fight Club remains another iconic feature ending

Among the movies of David Fincher, Se7en stands out as one of his most popular, but the Se7en Sof is not the only one who has stayed with audiences. The filmmaker has a knack for leaving the audience with a memorable conclusion that he has pulled off in a number of different ways.

Compete with Se7en As the most popular of Fincher’s endings is the end of Action Club Which leaves a lot of questions and ambiguity while still hitting the viewers with an unforgettable cinematic moment. Like the Pixies song “Where’s My Mind?” plays, the narrator and Marla look out over the skyline as corporate skyscrapers crumble to the ground in a thought-provoking and powerful image.

Gone girl is another memorable Fincher ending which, similar to Se7enIs not interested in giving the audience a nice clean ending where the villain gets what’s coming to them. Instead, the manipulative and murderous Amy then gets away with all her lies and crimes, and becomes the hero she wanted to be while her husband Nick decides to stay with her as she is pregnant with his child. The question of what will become of this twisted couple is a chilling note to leave audiences on.

Of course The most underrated of Fincher’s endings is The game. Be follow-up to Se7en Michael Douglas stars as Nicholas, a man who is invited to play an immersive game that begins to take over his life to the point that he doesn’t know what’s real anymore. In the end, just as Nicholas seems to discover that he is at the center of a massive conspiracy, it is revealed that it was all an elaborate game and he makes it to the end.

However, the final moments put the question in the mind of the audience whether the game is still going or not. With movies like this and the iconic Se7en Finally, few filmmakers leave viewers with such a memorable final moment as David Fincher.

How the end of Se7en is received

Se7en is one of the most celebrated movie endings of all time

Many people are involved with the production Se7en Have discussed the ending and the pushback it originally received. David Fincher and Brad Pitt both said they signed on to the project with the understanding that the ending would not be changed. However, to end on such a bleak note certainly caused a lot of concern from the studio and producers. Thankfully, Fincher fought for his ending and the result is one of the most iconic movie endings of all time.

Se7en was a great movie until the final sequence, but there’s no denying that the ending is what cemented it as a truly great film. The dark and gruesome story leading up to the end demanded that there not be a happy ending, and as sad as the revelation of what’s in the box is, such a shocking and brutal conclusion was destined for this story. . If the ending pulled the trigger, it would betray the story that preceded it.

The ending not only works in the tone of the story, but it offers a huge gut punch to leave the audience with. It’s not the kind of twist that the audience needs to hunt for clues for, but rather a shocking development that makes perfect sense for the story, but takes the audience completely by surprise. The revelation that John Doe murdered Tracy is a shock, but it is immediately followed by the suspense of what Mills will do.

Fincher brilliantly stages the confrontation to maximize the audience’s conflicted feelings. They want Mills to take his revenge but know that’s what Doe wants. As soon as Mills pulls the trigger, it doesn’t feel like a victory but rather confirms that the villain won. To have the audience so invested in the final moments of a movie is what Se7en remains a classic.