Se7enis such a dark and effective crime thriller that it’s very easy to overlook how silly the title is, given it replaces a “v” with a “7,” and so is seemingly pronounced “Sesevenen.” It was arguablyDavid Fincher’s first great film, and has a plot that follows two detectives going after a dangerous serial killer who appears to be committing a series of murders that are each based on one of the seven deadly sins.
It’s the sort of movie that’s proved to be influential and remarkably popular in the years since its release (evengetting a 4k remaster), and at the same time, it’s possible to see certain titles released beforeSe7enas influencing it and its dark neo-noir narrative. The following movies all have certain similarities to Fincher’s 1995 film and areworth checking out for fans of dark, twist-filled, and sometimes stomach-churning crime, thriller, and mystery movies.
25’Frenzy' (1972)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
WhileAlfred Hitchcock made most of his moviesat a time in history when there were certain restrictions in place content-wise, he was still able to craft his fair share of dark, morbid, and violent films.Frenzy, one of his last ones overall, did have the benefit of being made at a time when you could get away with showing a little more, ensuring that much of it still packs a punch 50+ years later.
There is a dark sense of humor to be found at the heart ofFrenzy, but it is still pretty bleak and intense overall, following a chaotic chase to find the serial killer behind a series of murders targeting women in London.It’s worth a watch for anyone who likes a good crime/thriller flick and doesn’t mind the idea of things getting a little mean-spirited(again, in a somewhat funny way, at least at times).
24’Longlegs' (2024)
Directed by Osgood Perkins
Scratching the same sort of crime/thriller/horror itch thatSe7endoes,Longlegsis perhaps one of the more interesting horror flicks of the decade so far. There is a familiarity with the core premise, which involves the tracking down of a dangerous criminal, but there’s a good deal more to it than that, with various revelations made in the back half that helpLonglegsget a little weirder and less predictable.
It’s also a movie that benefits from havinga very strange Nicolas Cage performance, and he’s used the perfect amount here for the kind of character he plays. Elsewhere,Maika Monroeis very good in the lead role, andwriter/director Osgood Perkins injects the whole thing with a ton of energy from a stylistic viewpoint. It’s an odd sort of blend of horror and crime, but a largely compelling one overall.
23’Spiral: From the Book of Saw' (2021)
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
While it’s unlikely to be anyone’s favorite entry in the series,Spiral: From the Book of Sawis a bit over-hated. Yes, being on board with the fact that this is aSawmovie starringChris Rockcan be a bit of an obstacle, and there is a twist here that’s probably the least surprising of anySawmovie twist… but there’s an element on the police procedural side of things that helps it stand out.
InSpiral: From the Book of Saw, there are still some grisly traps and moments of ultra-violence, but it’s also a little like the first movie in that the investigation occurring around the traps/murders proves arguably more important than the other stuff. When the conclusion to the mystery underwhelms, it does hurt the movie overall, but before then,there’s a sense of brazenness and grit to this one that makes it more than watchable.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw
22’No Country for Old Men' (2007)
Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
A crime movie where there’s an intentional focus on those outside the law, and an emphasis on how those on the “right side” can’t do much,No Country for Old Menis as stunning as it is bleak. It’s all about the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, with one man stumbling across the site and taking a large quantity of cash with him, which makes him the target of a relentless assassin tasked with getting that cash back.
Even if you know how it ends,No Country for Old Menis unwaveringly intense for almost its entire runtime, with a central villain who’s a big reason for that continued sense of dread and/or outright terror.It’s not a feel-good movie by any means, but it is a remarkable film, and likely thebest film adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy storyto date.
No Country for Old Men
21'8MM' (1999)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Another film starring Nicolas Cage, alongside a noteworthy supporting cast thatincludes the likes of Joaquin Phoenix,James Gandolfini,Peter Stormare, andCatherine Keener,8MMworks fairly well as a dark and dingy mystery/thriller flick. Cage plays a surveillance specialist who comes across a reel of plastic film, and discovers its contents might point to something incredibly disturbing. This, naturally, sets him off on a surprising investigation.
There is an element of traveling further into an off-putting underworld as8MMgoes along, and it can be fairly involving and suspenseful at times. The acting is also quite strong, at least compared to how the film’s written and directed… in those areas,8MMcan be a little disappointing. It doesn’t come together quite well enough to be a masterpiece by any means, butthe stuff that works is generally strong enough to make it recommendable for those who like their crime/thriller movies dark.
20’Zodiac' (2007)
Directed by David Fincher
David Fincher has numerous movies that could be classified as psychological thrillers, but of them all, 2007’sZodiacis probably the one that’s most comparable toSe7en. This is because narratively speaking, each follows a group of characters (two detectives inSe7en, and three different men inZodiac) as they desperately search for an elusive killer who’s at large, and terrifying thousands—if not millions—of people in the process.
Of course,Se7enis fictitious, whileZodiacis based on a real-life case, and follows people who really did try and locate the infamousZodiac Killerin and around San Francisco. It’s an incredibly compelling crime movie, andthough it has similarities toSe7en, it ultimately becomes something quite different in its final act, given it chooses to explore obsession and the damage one can do when pursuing something too relentlessly. All in all,Zodiacis amassively compelling crime movie.
19’The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
Directed by Jonathan Demme
For as great asSe7enis, it ultimately has some tough competition when it comes to naming the best American crime/mystery movie of the 1990s, seeing as that decade also saw the release ofThe Silence of the Lambs. It’s an amazingly well-written movie, impeccably acted, and perhaps the best film or TV series yet to feature the character of Hannibal Lecter.
He’s played here byAnthony Hopkinsin arguably the actor’s most well-known performance, with the plot centering around a young FBI agent (Jodie Foster) forming an uneasy alliance with a captive Lecter, who may be able to give her assistance in catching another killer who’s at large.Beyond the writing and acting, it’s also hard to fault the directing, visuals, music… and everything aboutThe Silence of the Lambs, really. It’s just great all around, and one ofthe very best movies of the 1990s.
The Silence of the Lambs
18’Insomnia' (2002)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Insomniamight well be the most underrated movie directed byChristopher Nolan, with it sitting between two other films of his—Mementoin 2000, andBatman Beginsin 2005—that are more well-known. It’s more comparable to the former than the latter, being a psychological thriller about losing one’s grip on reality while also investigating a murder. Funnily enough, it’s probably one of the least mind-bending andmost comprehensible movies Nolan’s directed.
It might not be as popular as other Nolan movies, due to it feeling a little more straightforward than some of his twistier, more mind-bending movies, and because he didn’t have a writing credit on the film either.But it is an engaging and well-made crime/thriller that scratches the same itchSe7endoes, and also boasts a great cast that includesAl Pacino,Robin Williams, andHilary Swank.
17’Manhunter' (1986)
Directed by Michael Mann
Another Hannibal Lecter movie (though here, he’s technically called “Lecktor,” andhe’s played by Brian Cox),Manhunteris about using one serial killer to help catch another… sort of. Will Graham is the one who has to have that kind of uneasy dynamic with Lecter, and it’s all in service of catching a killer initially known only as the Tooth Fairy.
It’s a movie that seesMichael Mannin his wheelhouse, so it largely works and satisfies as a dark, intense, and grisly crime/thriller/horror movie.Manhuntermight not quite be the gold standard as to how to make a serial killer film of this kind,but it is something that shows one how to make that kind of movie pretty well. It’s good stuff; feels of the 1980s, in some ways, but holds up when watched today in other ways.
16’Mystic River' (2003)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
The focus is a little different forMystic River, at least as far as movies about finding criminals go. There’s a grim tragedy that happens early on, and then it focuses on the psychological impact of some of the people who were left standing in its wake, so to speak. It’s never a happy movie, and then various things keep happening that make it continually more unhappy.
That’s keeping things vague, sure, butMystic Riverhas more of an impact the less you know about it going in, given the ways it wants to affect you. It’s one of thebest things Clint Eastwood has ever directed, andfunctions immensely well as a brutal drama with big, showy performances, and a willingness to unpack some dark ideasand narrative beats.
