Se7en is such a darkish and efficient crime thriller that it is very straightforward to miss how foolish the title is, given it replaces a “v” with a “7,” and so is seemingly pronounced “Sesevenen.” It was arguably David Fincher‘s first nice movie, and has a plot that follows two detectives going after a harmful serial killer who seems to be committing a collection of murders which are every primarily based on one of many seven lethal sins.

It is the form of film that is proved to be influential and remarkably in style within the years since its launch (even getting a 4k remaster), and on the identical time, it is potential to see sure titles launched earlier than Se7en as influencing it and its darkish neo-noir narrative. The next motion pictures all have sure similarities to Fincher’s 1995 movie and are price testing for followers of darkish, twist-filled, and typically stomach-churning crime, thriller, and thriller motion pictures.

20

‘Frenzy’ (1972)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Whereas Alfred Hitchcock made most of his motion pictures at a time in historical past when there have been sure restrictions in place content-wise, he was nonetheless in a position to craft his justifiable share of darkish, morbid, and violent movies. Frenzy, one in all his final ones general, did benefit from being made at a time when you would get away with displaying somewhat extra, guaranteeing that a lot of it nonetheless packs a punch 50+ years later.

There’s a darkish humorousness to be discovered on the coronary heart of Frenzy, however it’s nonetheless fairly bleak and intense general, following a chaotic chase to search out the serial killer behind a collection of murders focusing on ladies in London. It’s price a look ahead to anybody who likes a superb crime/thriller flick and doesn’t thoughts the concept of issues getting somewhat mean-spirited (once more, in a considerably humorous approach, at the very least at occasions).

19

‘Longlegs’ (2024)

Directed by Osgood Perkins

Scratching the identical form of crime/thriller/horror itch that Se7en does, Longlegs is probably one of many extra attention-grabbing horror flicks of the last decade to date. There’s a familiarity with the core premise, which entails the monitoring down of a harmful felony, however there’s a superb deal extra to it than that, with numerous revelations made within the again half that assist Longlegs get somewhat weirder and fewer predictable.

It is also a film that advantages from having a really unusual Nicolas Cage efficiency, and he’s used the proper quantity right here for the form of character he performs. Elsewhere, Maika Monroe is superb within the lead position, and author/director Osgood Perkins injects the entire thing with a ton of vitality from a stylistic viewpoint. It’s an odd form of mix of horror and crime, however a largely compelling one general.

18

‘Spiral: From the E book of Noticed’ (2021)

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman

Whereas it’s unlikely to be anybody’s favourite entry within the collection, Spiral: From the E book of Noticed is a bit over-hated. Sure, being on board with the truth that it is a Noticed film starring Chris Rock is usually a little bit of an impediment, and there’s a twist right here that’s most likely the least stunning of any Noticed film twist… however there’s a component on the police procedural aspect of issues that helps it stand out.

In Spiral: From the E book of Noticed, there are nonetheless some grisly traps and moments of ultra-violence, nevertheless it’s additionally somewhat like the primary film in that the investigation occurring across the traps/murders proves arguably extra vital than the opposite stuff. When the conclusion to the thriller underwhelms, it does damage the film general, however earlier than then, there’s a way of brazenness and grit to this one which makes it greater than watchable.

17

‘No Nation for Outdated Males’ (2007)

Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

A criminal offense film the place there’s an intentional give attention to these exterior the regulation, and an emphasis on how these on the “proper aspect” can’t do a lot, No Nation for Outdated Males is as gorgeous as it’s bleak. It’s all concerning the aftermath of a drug deal gone unsuitable, with one man stumbling throughout the positioning and taking a big amount of money with him, which makes him the goal of a relentless murderer tasked with getting that money again.

Even when you understand how it ends, No Nation for Outdated Males is unwaveringly intense for nearly its whole runtime, with a central villain who’s a giant motive for that continued sense of dread and/or outright terror. It’s not a feel-good film by any means, however it’s a outstanding movie, and certain the greatest movie adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy story so far.

16

‘8MM’ (1999)

Directed by Joel Schumacher

One other movie starring Nicolas Cage, alongside a noteworthy supporting forged that consists of the likes of Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, and Catherine Keener, 8MM works pretty nicely as a darkish and dingy thriller/thriller flick. Cage performs a surveillance specialist who comes throughout a reel of plastic movie, and discovers its contents may level to one thing extremely disturbing. This, naturally, units him off on a stunning investigation.

There is a component of touring additional into an off-putting underworld as 8MM goes alongside, and it may be pretty involving and suspenseful at occasions. The appearing can be fairly robust, at the very least in comparison with how the movie’s written and directed… in these areas, 8MM is usually a little disappointing. It doesn’t come collectively fairly nicely sufficient to be a masterpiece by any means, however the stuff that works is mostly robust sufficient to make it recommendable for many who like their crime/thriller motion pictures darkish.

15

‘Zodiac’ (2007)

Directed by David Fincher

David Fincher has quite a few motion pictures that could possibly be labeled as psychological thrillers, however of all of them, 2007’s Zodiac might be the one which’s most corresponding to Se7en. It’s because narratively talking, every follows a gaggle of characters (two detectives in Se7en, and three completely different males in Zodiac) as they desperately seek for an elusive killer who’s at massive, and terrifying 1000’s – if not hundreds of thousands – of individuals within the course of.

After all, Se7en is fictitious, whereas Zodiac relies on a real-life case, and follows individuals who actually did attempt to find the notorious Zodiac Killer in and round San Francisco. It is an extremely compelling crime film, and although it is similar to Se7en, it in the end turns into one thing fairly completely different in its last act, given it chooses to discover obsession and the injury one can do when pursuing one thing too relentlessly. All in all, Zodiac is a massively compelling crime film.

14

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

Directed by Jonathan Demme

For as nice as Se7en is, it in the end has some powerful competitors relating to naming one of the best American crime/thriller film of the Nineties, seeing as that decade additionally noticed the discharge of The Silence of the Lambs. It is an amazingly well-written film, impeccably acted, and maybe one of the best movie or TV collection but to function the character of Hannibal Lecter.

He is performed right here by Anthony Hopkins in arguably the actor’s most well-known efficiency, with the plot centering round a younger FBI agent (Jodie Foster) forming an uneasy alliance with a captive Lecter, who might be able to give her help in catching one other killer who’s at massive. Past the writing and appearing, it is also arduous to fault the directing, visuals, music… and the whole lot about The Silence of the Lambs, actually. It is simply nice throughout, and one in all the easiest motion pictures of the Nineties.

13

‘Insomnia’ (2002)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Insomnia may nicely be essentially the most underrated film directed by Christopher Nolan, with it sitting between two different movies of his – Memento in 2000, and Batman Begins in 2005 – which are extra well-known. It is extra corresponding to the previous than the latter, being a psychological thriller about dropping one’s grip on actuality whereas additionally investigating a homicide. Funnily sufficient, it is most likely one of many least mind-bending and most understandable motion pictures Nolan’s directed.

It won’t be as in style as different Nolan motion pictures, resulting from it feeling somewhat extra easy than a few of his twistier, extra mind-bending motion pictures, and since he did not have a writing credit score on the movie both. Nevertheless it is a fascinating and well-made crime/thriller that scratches the identical itch Se7en does, and likewise boasts an awesome forged that features Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank.

12

‘Gone Woman’ (2014)

Directed by David Fincher

One other unpredictable thriller directed by David Fincher, Gone Woman won’t be as brutally darkish as Se7en, nevertheless it nonetheless manages to be fairly stunning. It is a couple of man who comes underneath scrutiny from the media and the regulation after his spouse all of the sudden vanishes, with some believing that he might’ve murdered her, with him sustaining his innocence all of the whereas.

To say extra concerning the plot would undo a lot of what makes Gone Woman nice, and despite the fact that it is practically 10 years outdated and relies on a fair older e-book, it nonetheless incorporates secrets and techniques price conserving. Maybe that is top-of-the-line issues one might say a couple of thriller, guaranteeing Gone Woman is a good one. By 2014, Fincher had confirmed he might primarily make nice psychological thriller and thriller motion pictures in his sleep, with Gone Woman being yet one more indicator that few administrators can deal with the style in addition to him.

11

‘Noticed’ (2004)

Directed by James Wan

Having a one-word title that begins with “S” isn’t the one commonality shared between Se7en and Noticed. The latter appears to have taken an honest quantity of inspiration from the previous, particularly with a lot of the 2004 movie functioning like a police procedural. After all, a superb chunk of the sequels doubled down on the torture/psychological mind-game aspect of issues, upping the quantity of on-screen carnage significantly.

However the unique Noticed was principally involved with stress and a constant sense of unease, centering on two males trapped in a horrible scenario and the steps taken by a decided detective who needs to take down the mysterious determine who is perhaps chargeable for holding the 2 males captive. The movie’s author, Leigh Whannell, was upfront about taking inspiration from Se7en, and it must be famous that Noticed nonetheless does sufficient to face by itself and never really feel completely by-product.

10

‘Remedy’ (1997)

Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

A mix of crime, thriller, and horror genres that’s significantly cherished on Letterboxd, Remedy is a film a couple of determined and maybe even futile seek for solutions behind a collection of killings in Japan. Bucking the development of many comparable horror/crime motion pictures, there isn’t a single human perpetrator, as a result of the assorted murders all have completely different perpetrators, and none of them appear to recollect committing the oddly comparable crimes in query.

Remedy incorporates a detective and psychologist tasked with wanting into the whole unusual case, and it due to this fact understandably features nicely as a piece of psychological horror. It’s additionally a movie outlined by how intense and unnerving the environment all through is, and the whole lot provides as much as a particular and darkish movie that’s in the end as gripping as it’s inevitably grim.

9

‘The Woman with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)

Directed by David Fincher

One other intense film by David Fincher, The Woman with the Dragon Tattoo noticed the director taking over a very chilly story tailored from the Swedish novel of the identical identify. It’s extra centered on being against the law/thriller film than it’s a work of horror. In truth, exterior some confronting scenes, it wouldn’t actually really feel proper to name The Woman with the Dragon Tattoo a horror film; extra only a thriller that typically will get horrifying relating to content material.

It pairs a journalist with a hacker, each working collectively to uncover an alarming collection of occasions associated to a disappearance that was first reported a long time previously. The Woman with the Dragon Tattoo unfolds over a reasonably lengthy runtime of over 2.5 hours, however principally earns that form of size and stays compelling all through.

8

‘The Exorcist III’ (1990)

Directed by William Peter Blatty

In distinction to one thing like The Woman with the Dragon Tattoo, The Exorcist III is a thriller/horror film that definitely emphasizes horror, however retains one thing of a crime-focused really feel with a narrative about uncovering a serial killer. It does match inside the general Exorcist collection, however the narrative at hand helps it really feel distinguished from the unique movie, and the opposite (usually much less high-quality) entries within the collection.

The Exorcist III revolves round Lieutenant William F. Kinderman, who was a supporting character within the first film, and the way he goes to nice lengths to uncover the reality behind the notorious Gemini Killer. It’s definitely a gradual burn, so far as thriller motion pictures go, nevertheless it combines a well-executed plot with loads of memorable scares to make for a surprisingly good sequel, and positively one of the best Exorcist film that isn’t the 1973 unique.

7

‘Collateral’ (2004)

Directed by Michael Mann

Whereas Se7en is generally involved with the individuals making an attempt to catch a serial killer, Collateral forces viewers to go together with a person who kills ceaselessly and with out regret, working as an murderer. Equally, the movie’s different important character, a cab driver, is made to go together with this violent life-style for some time, too, with the murderer looking for his help in getting from one location to the subsequent.

It unfolds over a brief time period, conserving the stress excessive all through and serving as an awesome character examine for each males. Jamie Foxx is reliably good because the cab driver, however Tom Cruise’s villainous flip is probably essentially the most stunning a part of the film, taking part in the killer shockingly nicely, particularly contemplating the actor doesn’t tackle purely antagonistic roles all that usually (although he’s excellent at it, as Collateral exhibits).

6

‘I Noticed the Satan’ (2010)

Directed by Kim Jee-woon

There is not any scarcity of nice South Korean thrillers on the market, particularly inside the previous couple of a long time. Of all of them, I Noticed the Satan is well top-of-the-line, and arguably one of the excessive, too, with its darkish story a couple of undercover agent who goes to drastic lengths to trace down and get revenge on a infamous serial killer after his fiancé is discovered murdered.

As soon as the plot actually will get going, I Noticed the Satan performs out like a relentless – and ferocious – nightmare, going from one violent, stomach-churning scene to the subsequent, all constructing as much as an alarming climax. It is a actually horrifying film – maybe one of many darkest, bleakest, and grittiest crime motion pictures launched in current reminiscence. Certainly, it is one that may show too excessive for some, however for these wanting one thing even darker and extra intense than Se7en, it could be price testing.

5

‘Nightcrawler’ (2014)

Directed by Dan Gilroy

Like Se7en, Nightcrawler can be classifiable as a neo-noir film, and goes to some extraordinarily darkish locations, although has an general very completely different premise. It follows a person named Lou Bloom, and the more and more determined lengths he’ll go to for the needs of capturing crime scene footage that he can then promote to a information station.

It is a film that is unafraid to play out with a forged of very flawed characters, and it definitely has an general pessimistic perspective towards the media and maybe humanity as an entire. Regardless of this, Nightcrawler is extremely partaking and well-paced, and for being such a bleak but fashionable and breakneck film, it will possible enchantment to those that favored Se7en. As a personality examine of a very harmful man – performed with immense success by the at all times devoted Jake Gyllenhaal – it is gripping stuff.

4

‘Vengeance Is Mine’ (1979)

Directed by Shōhei Imamura

A Japanese crime movie that will’ve felt much more stunning when it was first launched within the late Nineteen Seventies, Vengeance Is Mine is an underrated film centered round a serial killer. Stated killer’s identify is Iwao Enokizu, and the film presents his exploits in a really matter-of-fact approach that arguably stands to make his on-screen crimes much more disturbing, making this an exceptional Japanese film that, whereas not tremendous well-known, does have a superb stage of acclaim to its identify.

He is additionally continually on the run all through the film, with the police at all times on his tail and trying to place a cease to his violent crime spree. That entire dynamic – and the brutality of the movie – provides it some similarities to Se7en, although Vengeance Is Mine does admittedly stand out for making the killer the principle character, given issues are proven primarily from his viewpoint.

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3

‘Prisoners’ (2013)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Given he additionally starred within the aforementioned Zodiac and Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenhaal appears to be an actor who’s well-suited to darkish crime/thriller motion pictures. He additionally stars in Prisoners alongside Hugh Jackman, with this 2013 movie being a couple of father going to determined lengths to search out his younger daughter after she goes lacking at some point.

It was directed by Denis Villeneuve, who’s no stranger to darkish psychological thrillers (at the very least when he isn’t directing sci-fi blockbusters like Blade Runner 2049 and Dune). He is additionally no stranger to directing among the greatest motion pictures in current reminiscence, particularly all through the 2010s. Prisoners is a film that retains the stress excessive all through, is emotionally intense, and is keen to discover some darkish themes whereas telling a narrative that sees its characters go to equally darkish locations.

2

‘Reminiscences of Homicide’ (2003)

Directed by Bong Joon-ho

Bong Joon-ho‘s Reminiscences of Homicide was not the acclaimed director’s first movie, nevertheless it was the primary film of his to get vital consideration on a global scale. It is top-of-the-line movies the South Korean director’s ever made, which is really saying one thing given the prime quality of his work over the previous couple of a long time.

Reminiscences of Homicide has a story impressed by true occasions, and follows two detectives investigating a collection of brutal murders in Hwaseong in the course of the Nineteen Eighties. So far as crime motion pictures go, it is up there with among the bleakest, however the hopelessness and desperation of the narrative and its characters is essentially what makes Reminiscences of Homicide so impactful and in the end memorable. So far as South Korean crime motion pictures go, Reminiscences of Homicide is well one of many highest.

1

‘The Home That Jack Constructed’ (2018)

Directed by Lars von Trier

There are many stunning and disturbing motion pictures directed by Lars von Trier, with 2018’s The Home That Jack Constructed arguably being his most confronting, at the very least relating to violence. It is an unflinching have a look at the life (and thoughts) of a serial killer named Jack, as he revisits a collection of grisly crimes he dedicated over a 12-year interval.

The film has a really darkish humorousness at occasions, however to not the purpose the place it ever diminishes the horror inherent inside the story it tells. The Home That Jack Constructed is an extremely attention-grabbing and disquietingly engrossing film, and positively pushes the boundaries so far as crime/thriller motion pictures go. Like I Noticed The Satan, it is most likely solely recommendable to individuals who felt they might deal with one thing like Se7en moderately nicely. In truth, it is even potential to argue that The Home That Jack Constructed is one way or the other even darker.

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