6. Seven
David Fincher makes another appearance with Seven, the film that brought him to the attention of the movie world. Taking place in an unnamed city where it rains seemingly all the time, two detectives, one about to retire and the other relatively new to the force, engage in a disturbing investigation of a string of murders based on the seven deadly sins. At the end of the film, the murderer turns himself in with only five murders committed but says he will plead guilty if the two detectives will allow him to lead them to the last two bodies. He takes them out into the desert where a van delivers a package containing the head of the younger detective wife's. Unable to control himself, the detective shoots the killer, finishing the seventh murder and bringing his plan to fruition. As the sun sets, the older detective decides to stay on the force, quoting Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls, saying "the world is a fine place and worth fighting for" before agreeing with the second part and walking off. Seven is filmed with an almost overwhelming sense of dread. Somerset, the older detective, waxes several times about the state the world is in, only to be rebuffed by Mills, as the younger detective remains hopeful and determined. In the end, Mills is the one completely overcome by evil while Somerset rededicates himself to fighting it. So while the bad guy wins and the good guys are beaten, Seven at least decides that the world is worth fighting for, making it maybe not uplifting but at least not completely as bleak as it would seem at first glance.