9. Se7en
The first real David Fincher film. Seven has some of the best cinematography of any movie ever made and the excellent use of lighting really heightens the mood of the film. The tone of the story is straight out of any cheesy B-horror picture but Fincher's direction adds a sense of real world fear that is incredibly effective. The plot never drags and the eery world that the characters inhabit is a character in itself. The constant sense of dread provided by the rain and darkness that lingers in every scene elevates Seven above any generic crime movie and helps make it a meditation on the nature of sin and punishment. The ending is, of course, very shocking and borrows heavily from horror. What could have been a bland, un-inspired finale becomes the most interesting part of the entire movie because of the horror influence.