Is ‘Se7en’ A Horror Movie? Time For A Deep-Dive

David Fincher’s Se7en came out in 1995 and was an instant hit. The creepy crime drama saw two detectives–one wizened, one just a rookie–attempting to solve a string of grisly murders based on the seven deadly sins. We’ve now had 27 years of appreciation for this movie. 27 years of shivers when we think of Gluttony or Sloth or Lust. We’ve also had 27 years of arguing over what genre this masterpiece belongs in. The topic comes up all the time and starts dramatic debates in the comments of YouTube videos and reddit posts. So let’s figure this out once and for all: Is Se7en a horror movie? Or is it just a really well-done thriller?

What do the fans think?

Most of the debate about Se7en’s horror status comes down to the fans. And boy, do they get heated! Some judge it based on the actual definition of “horror”:

Se7en is a horror film. Before I make a quick point of why I believe this… ‘Horror’- an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust. (Google Definition) I understand the components of both genres of ‘Thriller’ and ‘Horror.’ However, Se7en is one of the few movies that have so many examples of Horror that I’ve come to define it as a Horror film. The ‘Sloth’ scene being the main example. When the victim woke up and started coughing, I experienced every feeling that defines ‘Horror.’ I was scared (fear), disgusted, and most definitely SHOCKED. Moreover, Se7en is just too dark to be considered anything else but a Horror Film.

u/[deleted]

It makes sense. If a movie makes you feel horrified, then couldn’t that be considered horror? (For me, that would mean A Christmas Story is also horror movie…)

But some people took issue with that:

Nah. I never found it that horrifying.

u/Jade_Phoenix

What other horror movies have you seen?

The scaryness aspect is pretty much at 0 in Se7en compared to literally any decent horror movie, despite some tense moments.

u/Rudzinski

Then again this whole, “nah, it didn’t scare me,” attitude kind of smacks of elitism. Honestly, for most horror fans, few movies in the genre actually scare them. We’ve all been desensitized. So according to the above commenters, there are only a few movies that actually count as horror. All of the classics would never even make the list.

We’ve even seen the horror/thriller debate in our own comments section on the Creepy Catalog Facebook page when I posted an article calling Se7en a “horror masterpiece”:

The fans, the ones who decide for themselves, are divided on how to class this masterpiece. Maybe we need to find an official answer.

How is the movie listed online?

It isn’t just about what the fans think, though. There should be an official designation, right? When you go to IMDb, the site has Se7en listed in the “crime,” “drama,” “mystery,” and “thriller” genres. No horror to speak of.

Wikipedia describes it as a “neo-noir psychological crime thriller.” Rotten Tomatoes files it under “Drama/Mystery and Thriller.” Again, no horror.

Then again, if you go to any horror-centric website, most have articles and entries devoted to Se7en. Clearly some people see it that way.

Still, it’s not looking so good for me and others who have been filing this movie into the horror genre. But these sites aren’t the be-all, end-all. What about the experts?

What do the experts think?

How about Roger Ebert, the late film critic who was one of the most respected voice in cinema. Here’s a snippet of his review for Se7en:

When he realizes he’s dealing with the Seven Deadly Sins, he does what few people would do, and goes to the library. There he looks into Dante’s Inferno, Milton’s Paradise Lost and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It’s not that he reads them so much as that he references them for viewers; it is often effective in a horror film to introduce disturbing elements from literature as atmosphere, and Fincher provides glimpses of Gustav Dore’s illustrations for Dante, including the famous depiction of a woman with spider legs.

Roger Ebert

If it feels like I’m reaching, that’s probably because I am. It’s just a small reference, but if Ebert is comparing Morgan Freeman’s jaunt to the library to research the movie’s spook-factor–a common horror trope–maybe that makes this horror.

While I can’t find any David Fincher quotes referencing the movie’s genre, what about the cast? Gwyneth Paltrow said this in an interview:

I had no sense while on set that we were making this terribly scary horror movie. It was a really nice experience.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Clearly Miss Goop herself thought that she starred in a horror film. Now, I think we should probably all take that with a grain of salt considering her track record for honesty when you factor in her new age business practices. Still! Paltrow says it’s horror.

So, is it a horror movie?

I don’t think there’s anything I could say to end this debate. Even if I found a quote from David Fincher saying it was definitely a horror movie, there’d still be fans on reddit disagreeing with him. In the end, it’s all up to the viewer. Once a work of art is out of the hands of the artist, its fate resides in the hands of the fans.

Maybe the best hot take comes from this reddit user:

I totally agree that Se7en is a Horror film, I also agree that it is a thriller and I agree that it is a mystery movie as well.

Se7en is an excellent movie that perfectly blends all of the above genre’s into one hell of a great ride.

u/Esterhowse

Thanks. I’ll keep thinking it’s horror then.