Se7en: The Serial Killer Chase as Existential Conundrum

David Fincher’s seminal serial killer procedural is more of a parable about how hope and idealism cope against evil.

James A Gill
September 6, 2025
Fanfare (Medium)

**This essay contains major spoilers for Se7en**

“If we catch John Doe and he turns out to be the devil, if he’s Satan himself, that might live up to our expectations. But he’s not the devil, he’s just a man.” — Detective William Somerset

“I don’t believe that you’re quitting because you believe these things you say. I don’t. I think you want to believe them because you’re quitting. You want me to agree with you and you want me to say ‘yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re right, it’s all f***ed up’…. but I won’t. I won’t say that. I don’t agree with you. I do not. I can’t.” — Detective David Mills

These are some of the lines exchanged between the heroes of David Fincher’s classic 1995 feature, Se7en, as they have a heart-to-heart conversation late in the film. It is a scene that contrasts considerably in tone and mood to the more memorably horrific and gory scenes in the film.

This scene may well be the most important, if not the most moving, in a film largely known for its bleak, macabre, and unforgiving atmosphere. As a moment of respite for the audience, the scene demonstrates how well detectives David Mills and William Somerset complement each other, despite their many superficial differences.

Released in September 1995, David Fincher’s Se7en proved to be a sleeper hit of 1995 (overall, and appropriately, the seventh highest-grossing film of 1995). It was a critical smash and a redemptive feature film success for Fincher (after the very mixed results of his film debut, Alien 3). Andrew Kevin Walker’s screenplay also received a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It is also, alongside 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs, considered the defining serial killer feature of the 1990s, forging a considerable impact on the genre going forward.

Read the full essay

How Quentin Tarantino Bent Los Angeles to His Will to Make ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’

In an exclusive excerpt from the revealing new book ‘The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,’ the film’s director and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie explain how they took L.A. back to the summer of ’69.

The following is excerpted from The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Insight Editions), out October 28.

Jay Glennie
September 19, 2025
The Hollywood Reporter

“Rick, how are you doing with getting Hollywood Boulevard for me?” Quentin asked his location manager, Rick Schuler. “I’m doing well,” Schuler replied.

Quentin looked at his first assistant director, Bill Clark, and looked at Schuler. “Doing well” was not going to cut it. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was a Los Angeles story, a Hollywood story, and it needed to be filmed in Los Angeles. It needed Hollywood as a backdrop. He wanted to convert Los Angeles back to 1969 — “You know, literally street by street, block by block.”

Schuler had been in discussion with the California Film Commission for weeks. Under Quentin’s gaze, he admitted, “Well, I think I’m 80 percent there.”

“Rick, if there’s anything I can do to help you out, I’ll be willing to do that,” Quentin replied.

Production designer Barbara Ling was also anxious to know what it was she was going to be working with. Schuler had been asking the Hollywood powers that be, responsible for the economic success of their city, to shut down eight blocks.

“They had been, like, ‘Eight blocks? No way!’ and had said no a hundred times,” Ling recalls. “I also remember, eight blocks was freaking out the producers budget-wise.”

Schuler had an idea how he could utilize the filmmaker’s extraordinary enthusiasm and will to best use. He had an idea he wanted to run by Bill Clark: Schuler had a meeting with the Hollywood neighborhood council. Would Quentin be willing to address them — just talk about the project? Talk about the movie, what Hollywood meant to him? It could help get things over the line.

The day of the meeting, Schuler sprung it on Quentin and Clark that he wanted to make the filmmaker the surprise star act of his pitch and have him come in at the end. Nobody on the council would know he was there beforehand.

“For whatever reason, Rick thought it would be best if he kept Quentin a surprise to the council members,” Clark says.

Read the full excerpt

David Prior to Direct Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s ‘The Boy in the Iron Box’ Netflix Movie Adaptation

Filming is set to get underway on the new horror movie in October.

Jacob Robinson
September 9th, 2025
What’s on Netflix

After being optioned for an adaptation, things are moving quickly with Netflix’s adaptation of Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s Audible series The Boy in the Iron Box, which is scheduled to begin filming in October 2025. David Prior, who has worked with GDT before, will be writing and directing the project, it has now been revealed.

Here’s what we know so far.

Rupert Friend, Jaeden Martell and Kevin Durand Join Netflix Horror Movie ‘The Boy in the Iron Box’

Kasey Moore
September 19, 2025
What’s on Netflix

Netflix has officially confirmed that The Boy in the Iron Box will be making its way onto our screens via a new feature film and has added three cast members ahead of filming commencing next month in Canada.

The Church of Tarantino Podcast: The Tarantino Interview

Reverend Scott K
August 15, 2025
The Church of Tarantino

The Church of Tarantino is a podcast channel with weekly shows dedicated to discussing every and anything related to the films of Quentin Tarantino. One of our 4 unique monthly series drop an episode every Friday. Ranking Tarantino (1st Friday of the month), The Bible Study (2nd Friday of the month), Inglourious Blue Balls (3rd Friday of the month) & Tarantinoesque Film Review (4th Friday of the month). Whether we’re ranking various aspects of his films, dissecting his scenes, discussing all the projects he’s announced, or reviewing films that are like his, there’s something for every QT fan.

For this episode, join the Reverend inside Pam’s Coffy, for his first ever sit down with Mr. Quentin Tarantino, as they discuss the cancellation of The Movie Critic, the origin of The Adventures of Cliff Booth, why he handed it to Brad Pitt and David Fincher, his “favorite director”, what his next project is going to be, why Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is still unavailable to the public, the brilliance of the late great Michael Madsen and so much more, including the question he’s been dying to ask for over 2 and a half years: “What ever happened to the Untitled TV Series?” This is a must-listen for true Tarantino fans.

Listen to the podcast and read excerpts from the transcript

Frame & Reference Podcast Extras: David Fincher’s Directors of Photography

Kenny McMillan
August 12, 2025
Frame & Reference

Frame & Reference is a conversation between Cinematographers hosted by Kenny McMillan. Each episode dives into the respective DP’s current and past work, as well as what influences and inspires them. These discussions are an entertaining and informative look into the world of making films through the lens of the people who shoot them.

This is a compilation of selections from past interviews with David Fincher‘s Directors of Photography, discussing their experiences working with him: Erik Messerschmidt, ASC (2022), Erik Messerschmidt, ASC (2024), Eigil Bryld (2023), Tim Ives, ASC (2021), Igor Martinovic and Vanja Černjul (2024), Jeff Cronenweth, ASC (2022).

Listen to the podcast:

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Support and follow the podcast: Patreon
Follow Frame & Reference: YouTube, Twitter, Instagram
Follow OWL BOT: Instagram
Follow Kenny McMillan: Instagram

Fireside Chat with Tim Miller, Director of Deadpool and Creator of LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS

Miles Perkins, Industry Manager, Epic Games
July 28, 2025
Unreal Engine

Join Tim Miller, co-founder of Blur Studio and winner of multiple Emmy Awards, for a candid chat on his origins as an animator and visual effects artist, his “story first” philosophy, and his views on creativity. Tim’s curiosity and drive has led him to branch out from traditional visual effects to direct live-action features and explore real-time animation with Blur’s Secret Level series and the LOVE DEATH & ROBOTS anthology series.

How Brad Pitt Designed His Dream Watch for F1: The Movie

The actor worked closely with IWC and Cloister Watch Co. to get his character’s timepiece exactly how he wanted it.

Cam Wolf
June 27, 2025
GQ

To create the new movie F1—which director Joseph Kosinski describes as “the most authentic, realistic, and grounded racing movie ever made”—no shortcuts were taken. Stars Brad Pitt and Damon Idris both drove their own cars, and the film’s crew integrated themselves into the actual Formula 1 season. That painstaking attention to detail also extended to the watch Pitt wears as the racer Sonny Hayes. The actor was extremely exacting about the timepiece he wanted to wear, its backstory, and many of the technical details, including the movement and thickness.

Our story begins, oddly enough, with David Fincher. The Oscar-nominated director and Pitt are longtime collaborators and pals who share a love of making awesome movies—Fight Club and Se7en, anyone?—and, apparently, equally awesome watches.

Read the full profile

Holt McCallany on MINDHUNTER, David Fincher, and masculinity

With the critical success of MINDHUNTER, the Irish-born actor graduated from supporting tough guy parts in films like Fight Club to leading his own shows. As he prepares for the release of The Waterfront, he speaks to Annabel Nugent about his traditional parents, how he almost turned down Alien3 – and why for him, ‘chivalry is not dead’.

Annabel Nugent
June 19, 2025
The Independent

To hear Holt McCallany reel off his childhood heroes is to understand him a little better. “Steve McQueen, Burt Lancaster, Bob Mitchum, Gene Hackman, Jack Palance,” the actor says. “I loved Jack Palance. Lee Marvin. Charles Bronson.” He recites each name with cinematic gravitas and through semi-pursed lips as though he’s balancing an invisible cigarette out the corner of his mouth. “Those guys, they had this classic American… masculinity.”

The same can and has been said of McCallany, who at 61 has carved a career out of that same strong, silent archetype. He’s played parts on both sides of the law, including one tough guy unironically named Bullet. Bit parts in early David Fincher films like Alien3 and Fight Club introduced him as an excellent character actor, “that guy!” audiences are always happy to see, even if they may not know his name.

Fincher not only had his name, he had McCallany’s number, believing from the get-go that he was destined for bigger things, and eventually casting him as a lead in MINDHUNTER – the critically acclaimed Netflix neo-noir series about the FBI and serial killers. His performance as the straight-shooting, flat-top agent Bill Tench was so lauded, it inspired a think piece in Vulture titled: “Why MINDHUNTER’s Bill Tench Is So Lovable.” That article got to the crux also of what makes McCallany so, if not lovable, then watchable, because hand-in-hand with that stone-cold hardiness is an unexpected sensitivity. Flashes of openness where you’d expected a door slammed shut.

But McCallany downplays his part in the show’s success, attributing it instead to “the creative genius” behind the camera. He compares his role to that of a guest at a lavish dinner party: “There’s gorgeous tablecloths, beautiful crystal glasses, and delicious food. You just have to not spill food down your shirt and everybody goes, bravo!” It may sound like false humility, but in truth, there is a steely confidence to McCallany’s words: give him a good part, and he’ll do the rest.

Read the full profile

LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS Volume 4. Inside the Animation: Screaming of the Tyrannosaur

June 9, 2025
Still Watching Netflix (YouTube)

Director Tim Miller discusses how he approached directing this dinosaurs in space adventure, starring MrBeast! Featuring Jennifer Yuh Nelson and David Fincher.

Read the LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS. Volume 4 guide

LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS Vol. F*** is NOW EXTREMING on Netflix

LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS Volume 4. Inside the Animation: Spider Rose

May 29, 2025
Still Watching Netflix (YouTube)

Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson showcases some behind-the-scenes of her process to create Spider Rose. Featuring Tim Miller and David Fincher.

Read the LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS. Volume 4 guide

LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS Vol. F*** is NOW EXTREMING on Netflix