‘Se7en’ Director David Fincher Sets the Record Straight on the Ending

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The following article contains spoilers for Se7en.

David Fincher, the director of the famous serial killer movie “Se7en,” is marking the film’s 30th anniversary. As he reflects on the enduring impact of this classic ’90s thriller, he has finally revealed the long-awaited mystery that has intrigued us since its release in 1995: What exactly was inside the box that Detective Somerset opened? Not just in the movie, but behind the scenes – what did they actually use? It wasn’t a real head, it seems.

Initially, we’ll take a break. In the movie, Detectives David Mills and William Somerset encounter a merciless serial killer who’s obsessed with the seven deadly sins and incorporates these themes into his gruesome killings. Interestingly, after the fifth murder, John Doe voluntarily turns himself in to the police. Although there are no bodies for the last two murders, this doesn’t necessarily imply that Doe has stopped his killing spree.

Our character persuades Mills and Somerset to embark on a journey, promising to disclose the locations where the bodies have been hidden. In a desolate location, a messenger appears unexpectedly, carrying a box. The tension mounts as the trio demands, “What’s in the box!?!?”

At gunpoint, Doe starts revealing the whereabouts of the deceased embodying envy and wrath. As Somerset carefully opens the box, his shock is palpable upon seeing its contents. He rushes towards Doe and Mills, causing alarm. The truth unfolds that the box contains Tracy’s decapitated head – Mills’ wife whom Doe has murdered out of envy for his seemingly flawless life.

Doe knows that fueled by wrath, Mills will take his revenge, thus completing the cycle.

As a film enthusiast, I can attest that Morgan Freeman’s captivating portrayal of William Somerset skillfully conveyed the shock on his character’s face in “Seven”. However, for quite some time, whispers circulated about a prop hidden within the box – a prosthetic head resembling Gwyneth Paltrow (Tracy Mills). Director David Fincher addressed these rumors with Entertainment Weekly, emphatically refuting the claim, stating categorically that no such head was ever present in the box.

Nope, that’s completely unreasonable. We calculated that our shot bag weighed around seven to eight pounds. Using Gwyneth Paltrow’s body mass index, we estimated how much of her total weight could be attributed to her head. This gave us an idea of what the head might weigh. I believe there was actually a weight included in it.

We also added a wig to the package, just in case Morgan tore open the box and some of the sealing tape came loose – it appeared to be a bag and a wig, with the wig having a tiny bit of blood on it. This way, when the hair stuck together, it would resemble evidence. Keep in mind, Morgan opened around 16 to 17 boxes. However, as I often mention, if you have Morgan Freeman, you don’t need to know what’s inside the box.

The Legacy of ‘Se7en’ and Its Powerful Twist

The final scene in the movie Se7en is frequently debated as a grim and unavoidable instance where the antagonist effectively triumphed. Regardless, it’s challenging to envision the movie without this conclusion, despite the fact that an alternative ending was initially considered. New Line Cinema persuaded screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker to revise the ending; however, the original “head-in-a-box” script somehow reached Fincher, who showed it to Brad Pitt, who found it compelling enough to reject any other possible endings.

Se7en stands out as a groundbreaking movie in the crime thriller genre during the 90s, when these films began to take on a more ominous tone, leaning towards horror (think of movies like The Silence of the Lambs, Single White Female, Cape Fear, and others). Despite its bleak nature, the film manages to bring light into the darkness, which is beautifully conveyed in the last scene when Somerset quotes Ernest Hemingway, saying, “Ernest Hemingway once wrote, ‘The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.

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2025-01-05 04:33