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Seven is heaven, with Morgan Freeman, whose serene ancient confidence enables and nurtures survival amidst the chaos; Brad Pitt, People Magazine's "Sexiest Man of the Year" every year since Sean Connery turned 60; and Kevin Spacey, in his best Christopher-Walken-Creepy-Antagonist mode.
But Seven is also hell, with a script which relies on archetypes as much as characterization: The older detective, just a week away from retirement. The eager new recruit, young and sexy, ready to rush headlong into any dangerous situation. The irascible, put-upon police captain who comes to work solely to salve personality disputes between his leading detectives. The villain, coldly yet brilliantly insane, with a motive to his madness as eloquent as Ecclesiastes. That these archetypes effectively serve the story is a testament to the strength of the cast.
Even without real characters, the story itself is provocative, based on a serial killer's atonement of the Seven Deadly Sins. Crazy people doing bad things for good reasons is always compelling. The final ten minutes in the desert are especially powerful, though the ending epilogue between the captain and Freeman reverts back to Clich� Fest 1997.