Two detectives, seven deadly sins, and a killer who turns murder into a sermon — Morgan Freeman gives Seven its weary, human centre.
Released in 1995, Seven, often written as Se7en, stars Freeman as Detective William Somerset, a veteran detective about to retire, partnered with the younger David Mills, played by Brad Pitt. Together they hunt a killer who uses the seven deadly sins as the pattern for his crimes.
Freeman plays Somerset as a man who has seen too much and still cares too much. His quiet intelligence, his love of books and his growing bond with Mills give the film’s darkness a human counterweight, and its shocking ending lands because Somerset does.
It is a signature thriller role: Freeman as the experienced professional, guiding a younger partner — and the audience — through a story that never lets up.