31 Years Later, David Fincher's Gritty Psychological Thriller Still Has One Of The Genre's Greatest Endings

Published Sep 15, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

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David Fincher is a director responsible for numerous beloved movies and TV shows. He directed Zodiac in 2007, a gritty crime thriller with an incredible cast, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. Fincher also directed Gone Girl in 2014. It's fair to say that Fincher has a keen eye for suspense and psychological thrillers. Fight Club is another one of his famous titles, as is 2011's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. However, many fans of Fincher's work would argue the greatest movie in his filmography is still Se7en, even 31 years later.

Se7en is a grimy cop thriller with an exceptional cast. Morgan Freeman is William Somerset. He's a veteran detective just one week away from retirement. A new detective, Mills (Brad Pitt), arrives at the precinct. He's fiery and inexperienced compared to Somerset, and the pair work together on a chilling serial killer case. Fincher isn't afraid to show particularly gruesome, unsettling scenes as the detectives realize their suspect's crimes are based on the seven deadly sins.

The 1995 movie is full of shocking moments, yet its ending is so impactful it remains a part of pop culture more than three decades later. Kevin Spacey is oddly intimidating as John Doe despite his calm demeanor, and the closing scene of Se7en is so unforgettable that audiences are still talking about it today.

Se7en's Twist Ending Is Still A Masterpiece

The final scene in Se7en is incredible in part because the audience has no idea what John Doe is hoping to achieve. Doe asks Somerset and Mills to take him to a specific, remote desert location. He's unarmed, handcuffed, and with two armed detectives. However, the situation dramatically changes when a delivery driver approaches with a package. Somerset cautiously takes it and demands the driver leave the area.

The moment is so tense because we don't even see what's inside the box. Instead, we see shock across Somerset's face, and he's a character we're not used to seeing so startled. Somerset tells the police helicopter overhead, "Whatever you hear, stay away. John Doe has the upper hand." As Somerset runs to his partner, Doe tells Mills that he visited his wife that morning. He calmly says, "I took a souvenir. Her pretty head."

Mills is overcome with emotions as he begs Somerset to tell him it isn't true. Doe twists the knife even deeper when he realizes that Mills did not know his wife was pregnant. As Mills readies his weapon, Somerset says, "If you kill him, he will win." We see Mills doubt himself through tears several times before ultimately executing Doe. It's a powerful scene, even during a rewatch, as Doe closes his eyes before the shot.

The Talk In The Car Before The Ending Of Se7en Elevates The Entire Scene

The ending of Se7en is shocking even during a rewatch. Pitt is believable as a broken man overcome by emotion, torn between his desire to shoot Doe and what he knows he should do. It's arguably one of the most memorable moments in the entire genre, though the scene just before elevates it even further.

Mills and Somerset talk to Doe as they drive him into the desert. He reveals some of his motivations, and we see his disdain when Mills calls Doe's victims innocent. He describes his victims' sins, concluding, "Only in a world this ****** could you even try to say these were innocent people and keep a straight face."

Doe also points out something keen-eyed audiences have already noticed in Se7en. The detectives never actually caught him. Doe explains he's only there because he wants to be. When Mills interrupts, saying they would have gotten him eventually, Doe coldly points out that he was only caught because he walked into the police station with his hands in the air. The conversation is primarily between Doe and Mills. When Somerset asks if Doe believes he is doing the Lord's good work, he calmly responds, "The Lord works in mysterious ways."

One of the most chilling parts of this incredible exchange is that one of Doe's predictions arguably came true. He says, "What I've done is going to be puzzled over, and studied, and followed, forever." 31 years certainly isn't forever, but it's a long time, and audiences are still mulling over the final moments of Se7en, and what they would have done in Mills' shoes.