Netflix has recently updated its vast library with a selection of movies from the 1990s, a decade for which cinema is remembered for its light, bubbly romance and comedy films. However, movies like Seven, available on Netflix since early November, shows the other side of the 90s motion picture spectrum, showcasing a grimy and haunting thriller.

The film tells the story of two detectives who are on the hunt for a serial killer who relates each of his victims to one of the seven deadly sins, finding dark and shocking ways to kill people he believes are ultimate sinners.

At first, Seven comes off as your run of the mill crime story. Yet early on and as the film progresses, it gets darker, making the audience question if the detectives will catch the murderer, and not in the usual clichéd way.

Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt provide the strong, polished performances needed to have viewers root for their characters during the cat and mouse chase seen on screen.

Freeman plays Detective Somerset, a wise and veteran cop who is tired of living in a city full of crime and lack of morals. Freeman manages to bring life to a character that could have come off as stoic and two-dimensional.

Pitt plays the young and headstrong Detective Mills, a recent transfer to the homicide department who partners up with Somerset. At a time when he was thought to be just another pretty face, Pitt showed Hollywood that he could in fact act, making his character likable and appealing at times when he shouldn’t be.

The film’s suspenseful story line is emphasized and defined by director David Fincher’s unique visual style. For instance, the film’s setting is never mentioned, yet it is clearly a city full of crime, constant rain, and gloom, mirroring the tone of the film.

This psychologically dark and thrilling film is definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart, seeing as the way the crime scenes are depicted may come off as over the top, yet are exactly what is needed to establish just how twisted the serial killer is.

The ending is original and haunting, and what truly makes this film come full circle and be honored as one of the best pieces of cinema in the last couple of decades.

If you want to see a film where direction, acting, story, editing and just about every aspect of film is on point, Seven is the movie to watch.