3. "Se7en" (1995): Next to Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter, Kevin Spacey's insanely clever serial killer John Doe in David Fincher's fiendishly inventive "Se7en" is one of
cinema's most copied conniving monsters. It's cliché now, those ridiculously
intelligent, fastidiously
... moreorganized murderers (honestly, you'd think some of
them worship at the altar of Martha Stewart with all their perfectionism and craftiness),
but Fincher and Spacey created a monumentally scary, intriguingly misanthropic
and thrillingly entertaining psycho with Spacey's slaughterer -- a genius with
an agenda who knocks off victims as dictated by each of the seven deadly sins.
Leaving horrific though elaborate and ingenious crime scenes for homicide
detectives Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt to sort out, he messes with their brains
(Freeman is seen poring through classic literature to make sense of this man) as
well as their weaknesses (hot-head Brad Pitt is put to the ultimate test). Cool to
the very end, Spacey offers not one moment of sympathy for this killer, and
other than being impressed by his acumen, there's nothing likable about his
demented fiend. The performance, however, is one for the ages (and a handful of
rip-offs via the "Saw" franchise). (New Line/courtesy Everett
Collection)Close
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