The Usual Suspects
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One of the most deceptive narratives in crime cinema redefined the genre's boundaries when it hit the big screen in the mid-1990s. Directed by Bryan Singer, this neo-noir thriller forces the viewer to think like a detective from the very beginning, questioning every scene and every line of dialogue. But the real trap is set right here: The moment you think you're watching carefully, you realize how skillfully the film has guided you. A ship that caught fire in San Pedro harbor left behind dozens of bodies and an enormous drug fortune. The nearly sole surviving witness is a seemingly ordinary man named Verbal Kint, who is lame. Sitting across from the prosecutor's interrogation table, Kint begins to tell a story from six weeks ago Dec Decking out from the streets of New York to the dark bay of Los Angeles, the coming together of five criminals, the power games between them and the shadow of an increasingly mysterious name. Keyser Söze. Uncertain whether it is a myth, a real monster, or a myth created by the collective criminal mind, this name settles into the center of the film in such a way that its presence affects everything as the story progresses. Singer structures the narrative with a Rashomon-like effect; that is, you can never truly know how much of what you see you can actually trust. Kevin Spacey's Oscar-winning performance embodies the spirit of the film. The calculated control combined with the layered fragility that Kint brings to the character causes you to experience an ongoing internal conflict while watching. The presence of actors like Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, and Chazz Palminteri powerfully fuels this intense atmosphere. Christopher McQuarrie's screenplay is, in itself, a masterpiece. The flashback structure, the rhythm of the dialogues, and the intensity of the tension between the characters take the film far beyond a run-of-the-mill crime story. The narrative, which transforms into a fictional interrogation session, also poses profound questions about memory, reliability, and how truth is shaped. When you reach the end, you haven't just finished a crime movie. You'll want to revisit the entire narrative, watch it all from the beginning; because the best stories are those that leave you wanting to watch them twice.
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Reviews
Andres Gomez
December 21, 2015
8/10
Great movie with superb performance from Kevin Spacey, well accompanied with the rest of the cast.
John Chard
May 09, 2020
10/10
Keaton always said, "I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of him." Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze. The Usual Suspects is directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Pollack, Stephen Baldwin, Benicio Del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, Giancarlo Esposito and Dan Hedaya. Music is by John Ottman and cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel. Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Ve...
The Movie Mob
September 17, 2022
6/10
**A clever twist and heavy fan support are the only stand-out aspects of this average heist film.** Bloggers, reviews, and friends hyped The Usual Suspects for years before I finally watched it, and it was ok. The movie had a pretty clever plot twist that the entire film was building towards from the beginning. Unfortunately, without the twist, the film is pretty mediocre. Brute force characterized the heists over clever planning. Keyser Söze's brilliant manipulation of the characters around ...
Filipe Manuel Neto
November 28, 2022
9/10
**A film that deserves to be revisited and remembered.** I think it's unfair that this movie seems to be so forgotten nowadays, but maybe that's because of the intricate plot, loaded with flashbacks. I can understand that, but I think there are even more confusing films out there that have never gone out of style. Anyway, it's a quality film, with good actors and a story, to say the least, intriguing. A small note: the film took home both Oscars for which it was nominated (Best Original Scree...
Nathan
May 16, 2023
6/10
Upon watching The Usual Suspects, I was initially excited to see what all the hype was about however, I found the film to be somewhat of a letdown. That being said, I do think that there were some strong aspects to the movie. From a technical standpoint, The Usual Suspects was quite impressive. The camera direction by Bryan Singer was particularly noteworthy, especially given that this was only his second full-length feature film. Where the movie fell short for me was in the writing. While...
drystyx
May 18, 2023
8/10
SUPERNATURAL THRILLER Director Singer and writer McQuarrie won't admit that it's a supernatural thriller, and insist it's just the goofy Hollywood movie it appears to be at first, but a few viewings will let you know that it is indeed a supernatural thriller. The story centers around five criminals who think they are gods, and therein lies the first clue to this being a sueprnatural thriller. Also, one of the men, Keaton, played by a Judd Hirsch look alike named Gabriel Byrne, is making a dea...
CinemaSerf
August 27, 2023
8/10
A true masterpiece of the crime genre! Five usual suspects are rounded up by the police to take part in an identity parade following a New York heist. It's clear that they had nothing to do with it, but when pitched together decide that they will avenge themselves on the NYPD. Their scheme progresses well until the intervention of international super-criminal "Keyser Söze" via his debonaire but menacing agent "Mr. Kobayashi" (a superb Pete Posthlethwaite) and soon it becomes clear that the polic...
fkuk1214
February 18, 2025
/10
Such a masterpiece in the film culture 🕵️♂️🕵️♂️🕵️♂️
Wuchak
March 27, 2025
4/10
**_Who IS Keyser Söze? Who freakin' cares?_** Released in 1995 and directed by Bryan Singer, "The Usual Suspects" is a crime drama/mystery about five thugs who decide to team up and get revenge on the police (Keven Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Steve Baldwin, Keven Pollak and Benicio Del Toro). After their successful operation, the five are manipulated by the legendary criminal Keyser Söze into taking a much riskier gig. One is captured and he's interrogated by the police (Chazz Palminteri & Giancar...
Dr_Nostromo
February 24, 2026
10/10
99/100 Written by Christopher McQuarrie (who now writes / directs Mission Impossible movies) and directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men franchise), this is one of the best caper movies ever made with one of the most phenomenally profound twist endings ever. Everything about this movie - the story, the acting (especially the excellent performance by Kevin Spacey), the dialogue - works!! If you haven't seen it, you're missing a masterpiece in crime fiction. One of those movies where I would have no pr...
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Usual Suspects was released in 1995.
The Usual Suspects has a runtime of 1 hr 46 min (106 minutes).
The Usual Suspects belongs to the following genres: Drama, Crime, Thriller.
The Usual Suspects has a rating of 8.2/10 from 11,456 votes on TMDB.
In the United States, The Usual Suspects is available to watch on: YouTube TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.