David Fincher’s Se7en (1995) has remained a staple in the thriller genre, thanks to its gripping narrative and unforgettable twist. As the film marks its 30th anniversary, Fincher took the opportunity to fine-tune the movie for its IMAX and 4K releases. In a recent interview with Collider, Fincher shared insights into how a minor glitch in one scene led him to use AI for a fix. While he has been vocal about avoiding significant changes to his past works, this small issue proved too tempting to leave unaddressed.
The scene in question features a subtle camera movement that, due to a technical glitch, ended up following a character just a fraction of a second too late. The result was a distracting pan that ended up showing more of the bar than intended. Fincher, not one to settle for imperfection, used AI to seamlessly restore the missing part of a leather jacket worn by one of the actors. By combining footage from other takes, Fincher was able to fix the issue while maintaining the integrity of the performance.
While this fix may seem like a trivial detail to most, Fincher finds it incredible that technology now allows such precision. His comments during the interview reveal that, though he remains sceptical of AI in filmmaking, this case was a perfect example of how the technology can serve as a valuable tool rather than a replacement. As Se7en hits IMAX and 4K Ultra HD, one has to wonder—how many viewers will even notice “the most thrillingly stupid fix in the world”?