The Usual Suspects
Academy Award × 2·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess.
What critics thought
The Usual Suspects is a densely layered crime thriller whose twist ending became one of the most discussed in 1990s cinema, though critics at the time were far from unanimous — Roger Ebert famously despised it while others celebrated its elegant misdirection. The ensemble performances, particularly Kevin Spacey's, drew consistent admiration even from those who felt the plotting was too clever by half.
“one of the most densely plotted mysteries in memory—though paradoxically, four-fifths of it is way too easy to predict.”
USA Today
“Ultimately, The Usual Suspects may be too clever for its own good. The twist at the end is a corker, but crucial questions remain unanswered. What's interesting, though, is how little this intrudes on our enjoyment. After the movie you're still trying to connect the dots and make it all fit—and these days, how often can we say that?”
Hal Hinson·The Washington Post
“Mr. Singer has assembled a fine ensemble cast of actors who can parry such lines, and whose performances mesh effortlessly despite their exaggerated differences in demeanor ... Without the violence or obvious bravado of Reservoir Dogs, these performers still create strong and fascinatingly ambiguous characters.”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
“The film's coup de grace is as elegant as it is unexpected. The whole movie plays back in your mind in perfect clarity—and turns out to be a completely different movie to the one you've been watching (rather better, in fact).”
The Independent
Genres
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Cast & Crew
DirectorBryan Singer
StarringStephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey
ComposerJohn Ottman
The Usual Suspects
Academy Award × 2·National Film Registry
Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess.
What critics thought
The Usual Suspects is a densely layered crime thriller whose twist ending became one of the most discussed in 1990s cinema, though critics at the time were far from unanimous — Roger Ebert famously despised it while others celebrated its elegant misdirection. The ensemble performances, particularly Kevin Spacey's, drew consistent admiration even from those who felt the plotting was too clever by half.
“one of the most densely plotted mysteries in memory—though paradoxically, four-fifths of it is way too easy to predict.”
USA Today
“Ultimately, The Usual Suspects may be too clever for its own good. The twist at the end is a corker, but crucial questions remain unanswered. What's interesting, though, is how little this intrudes on our enjoyment. After the movie you're still trying to connect the dots and make it all fit—and these days, how often can we say that?”
Hal Hinson·The Washington Post
“Mr. Singer has assembled a fine ensemble cast of actors who can parry such lines, and whose performances mesh effortlessly despite their exaggerated differences in demeanor ... Without the violence or obvious bravado of Reservoir Dogs, these performers still create strong and fascinatingly ambiguous characters.”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
“The film's coup de grace is as elegant as it is unexpected. The whole movie plays back in your mind in perfect clarity—and turns out to be a completely different movie to the one you've been watching (rather better, in fact).”
The Independent
Genres
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Cast & Crew
DirectorBryan Singer
StarringStephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey
ComposerJohn Ottman
Rent/Purchase