The Usual Suspects (1995)

Director Bryan Singer’s unusual story presents one of the most shocking and interesting twists of all time in “The Usual Suspects.” The tag line for the movie goes something like: Five Criminals, One Line Up, No Coincidence. That is a great sum of the movie in itself. What is amazing about this film is not the characters, or the director, but just the flow of the story. Christopher McQuarrie, who won a well-deserved Oscar, wrote the screenplay with opacity in mind that confuses the audience until the very end.

Gabriel Byrne stars as leader of the group, Dean Keaton. He is a reputable burglar and former corrupt cop who heads a job to steal over $90 million dollars worth of cocaine that is being smuggled on a boat. The job is facilitated by the mysterious Kyser Soze.

The members of Keaton’s group include Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin); Fred Fenster (Benicio Del Toro); and Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollack). Kevin Spacey (who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) gives one of the best performances of his life as Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint, the only survivor of the convoluted robbery on a boat that ended in the death of his ‘colleagues.’ As he tells the story, in the format of being interrogated by the police, we see it unfold through flashback.

“The Usual Suspects” uses time-shift principles of selective perception to emphasize ambiguity over substantive facts and the audience is just in for the ride.

The filming style of this film is classified as neo-noir, in that it includes elements of film noir (a minimalist lighting principle that accentuated appearances and emphasized mood and silhouettes) combined with some modern film techniques of today. The style is a complete success, because it really shapes the mood and fits perfectly with the story.

This is a great story and I highly recommend it for people who enjoy a thrilling plot with a clever twist.

I have only one recommendation for you to think about during the film: Who is Keyser Soze?

This movies runs 1hr 46 minutes.

My Rating: 9.0/10

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 89%

Critique: It can be a bit hollow at points, and sometimes the story lags on.