The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects (1995), directed by Bryan Singer is another one of my all time favorite movies. It is a jaw dropping crime thriller that is full of twists that will leave the viewer shocked. The movie won a total of 10 awards including best original screenplay and Academy Award for best supporting actor (Kevin Spacey). This is a movie that will have you hooked as you try to determine what really happened.

An ex-lawyer, two close friends, a car mechanic, and a crippled person are arrested and brought in for a police lineup. None of the group is guilty, and to spite the police, the group plans a revenge crime against them. The group's crime, though successful, leads them down a twisted path influenced by an unknown criminal whom they are all indebted to. Their paths come to an end at an explosion on a cargo boat. Later, the sole survivor of the explosion tells the police the tale from his perspective.

If you’re expecting a linear story then you will be mistaken. Verbal Kint and Detective David Kujan converse as Verbal (Spacey) tells the Detective (Chazz Palminteri) his point of view of the events. The movie executes this “who done it” style of mystery very well as it has achieved a spot in IMDb’s top 40 movies of all time. The cast, acting, and ending made this movie so iconic in the 1990’s. Kevin Spacey as Verbal and Chazz Palminteri (Sonny from A Bronx Tale) as Detective Kujan have many one on one scenes that range from rage to sadness in a full spectrum full of acting talent and capability from these two iconic actors. The film has a full ensemble cast of stars from the 1990’s such as Benicio Del Toro (Sicario), Gabriel Byrne (Little Women), Stephen Baldwin (Alec Baldwin's Brother), and Giancarlo Esposito (Gus from Breaking Bad) who all brought hilarious and serious additions to the movie in their own unique ways, in this iconic movie that propelled the crime genre into the 2000’s.

Themes in The Usual Suspects aren’t truly revealed until the end of the movie, when they become truly apparent. This movie is not about teaching the audience an intricate lesson, or to make the audience sad, rather the movie is giving the audience a well thought out story in a creative way. The film is notorious for its unexpected ending that keeps audiences asking questions. I enjoyed the movie for its high intensity, quotable lines, pacing, and story telling style. There isn’t a moment where something new to the story isn’t unraveling. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes the crime genre of film. It is rated R, and IMDb provides a parental guide that I highly recommend on reading for more information on why it has its rating.

4.1 / 5 ✰