Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- Somerset has a negative view of apathy—almost as though it were the movie's eighth sin—but he's also apathetic. Does he see the irony of this? Do you think he changes his ways after the end of the movie? Does society today have a problem with apathy? If so, how do we fix it?
- If Seven were real, what would John Doe's legacy be? Would people talk about, analyze, and dissect his murders in the way he thinks they will?
- Andrew Kevin Walker, the writer of Seven, hated living in New York City so much, he wrote this movie. Is Seven's depiction of urban life realistic?
- Andrew Kevin Walker also scripted an alternate ending in which it was Somerset, not Mills, who shot John Doe. Why did they decide that Mills would shoot Doe? How would the film be different if Somerset did it? Would that make sense?
- What do you think happens to Mills after the end of the movie? Would he be sent to jail for what he did? Would he regret it?
- The film takes place over the course of seven days. Is there a significance to this time frame, or is it simply to add layering to the title of Seven?
- Seven is an ultimate boys' club movie, with Gwyneth Paltrow's character practically the only female in the movie. How would Seven be different if the detectives were female—played by Gwyneth and Angela Bassett in our dream female cast? Would there ever be a female killer like Kevin Spacey's John Doe?
- Why is it always raining?
- What themes does this film have in common with Fincher's other work, like Fight Club or Gone Girl? Seven was Fincher's second film. How has his technique evolved? What trademarks of his directing style remain consistent?