The Usual Suspects

Five criminals. One lineup. No coincidence
Five criminals. One lineup. No coincidence
THE USUAL SUSPECTS (18)
D: Bryan Singer
Gramercy/Polygram/Spelling/Blue Parrot/Bad Hat Harry (Bryan Singer & Michael McDonnell)
US 1995
96 mins

Crime/Thriller

W: Christopher McQuarrie
DP: Newton Thomas Sigel
Ed: John Ottman
Mus: John Ottman


Gabriel Byrne (Dean Keaton), Kevin Spacey (Roger 'Verbal' Kint), Chazz Palminteri (Dave Kujan), Stephen Baldwin (Michael McManus), Benicio del Toro (Fred Fenster), Kevin Pollak (Todd Hockney), Pete Postlethwaite (Kobayashi), Suzy Amis (Edie Finneran), Dan Hedaya (Sgt. Rabin)

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

***SPOILER WARNING***
One of the more intelligent thrillers of contemporary cinema, Bryan Singer's crime masterpiece puts a unique spin on the whodunit genre thanks to the excellence of Christopher McQuarrie's Oscar-winning screenplay.
The movie opens with the interrogation of Roger 'Verbal' Kint (Kevin Spacey), telling detectives of how a simple identity lineup was arranged so five criminals could meet and participate in a series of crimes masterminded by notorious gangster Keyzer Soze. But who is Keyser Soze?
Once you've seen the movie once, it begs to be asked again, as the pieces of the puzzle fit in place, but if you've yet to watch it, don't read any more of this review.         
The cast ensemble are excellent and it's a real labour of love for debuting director Bryan Singer, every frame of action laced with stylish mystery. The true star is Kevin Spacey, with arguably his career best performance as the handicapped criminal who puts all the pieces of the puzzle together and ultimately delivers the final twist. 
Amongst the best films of the 1990's.
10/10

The Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects