Most Terrifying Scene In 1995's Seven Has A Disturbing Secret
The actors' reactions during the sloth victim scene look so authentic because they are.
David Fincher has made a name for himself over the years as a master of the thriller, delivering some of the genre's most notable landmark masterpieces.
But his 1995 film Seven stands out among his other works, and some fans even believe that the filmmaker has never been able to top it in the nearly three decades since its release.
The film centers on detectives David Mills and William Somerset, portrayed by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, respectively, as they pursue a mysterious serial killer who targets his victims according to the biblical seven deadly sins.
He also disposes of them in a gruesome manner that varies depending on the victim's sin, leading to many chilling crime scenes for Mills and Somerset to investigate.
The Sloth Victim
One of such scenes where the two discover the sloth victim was straight out of a horror movie, similar to the Saw franchise. It was arguably the scariest scene in the entire movie.
When the detective and the SWAT team arrive at the apartment, they see what appears to be a mutilated corpse strapped to a bed, matching a sin the killer accused the victim of committing.
But upon further examination, the "dead" body suddenly coughs, freaking out everyone in the room and making it clear that the poor man (unfortunately for him) is still barely alive.
What makes the scene so effective, aside from the brilliantly intense build-up, is the natural-looking reactions of the actors, which were actually very real.
Fincher's Clever Trick
Michael Reid MacKay, who portrayed Victor, the aforementioned victim, was covered in makeup to the point of being unrecognizable and secretly brought to the set so that his co-stars would not know.
Once shooting began, the director told him to lie perfectly still and hold his breath, which proved to be quite a challenge for the actor, but he pulled it off flawlessly.
Fincher did not mention to the other actors that the "corpse" was actually alive and not a prop, so when MacKay suddenly coughed and inhaled right in front of the SWAT team officer played by John C. McGinley, the shock on his face was absolutely genuine.
Recently, the director returned to his favorite genre after a long hiatus to deliver The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender.
The film will be released on October 27, 2023.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment