7. Se7en (1995)
David Fincher’s Se7en follows Detectives Mills and Somerset (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, respectively) as they track a deranged serial killer through a crime-ridden city. The killer, known only as John Doe (Kevin Spacey), has been committing horrific murders based around each of the seven deadly sins. Mills and Somerset race against the clock to catch him, hoping they can spare his next victims from the grisly ends he has planned for them.
Eventually, John Doe surrenders to them, promising he’ll take them to the final victims – envy and wrath. He leads them to a remote location, only for a nondescript box to be delivered. Opening it, Mills finds the severed head of his pregnant wife, and Doe explains that he envied Mills’ relationship. Mills shoots Doe, becoming the victim of wrath.
Se7en‘s shocking twist ending is truly unforgettable, thanks in part to Brad Pitt’s delivery of the line: “What’s in the box?!” The reveal that Doe had been several steps ahead all along and that Mills had long since been a part of his plan was both utterly horrifying and logically sound. This combination is ultimately what makes Se7en’s ending one of the best ever written.