The Usual Suspects Reviews

Unusually good

Bryan Singer's film, the Usual Suspects is one of those rare gems that demands multiple viewings to confirm how great it was. Five felons are lined up and interrogated in a New York Police station and afterwards in their cell, they plot to get back at the NYPD. It soon becomes apparent however that a mythical crime lord, Keyser S?ze (a name that strikes fear into the heart of any criminal) is controlling the events that soon surround them. If you haven't already done so, buy this film and watch it, preferably in the wide screen format. The final two minutes consists of the most brilliantly edited piece of footage, soundtrack and theme music in the history of American cinema.

The Usual Suspects is one of the sharpest, most intelligent films I've ever viewed. McQuarrie's script deserved the Oscar it earned and Singer's direction should of gotten him one too. He manages to keep the complex film understandable to most casual viewers and he moves the all-star cast around well. The cast is also great: Spacey deserved his Oscar too, and Gabriel Byrne and Kevin Pollack were also deserving of recognition. This is one suburb film that throws a colourful cast of characters into a maze of well written intrigue and suspense. A personal favourite.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Second only to The Prestige.

How anyone can consider The Shawshank Redemption a greater acheivement than this is incomprehensible. One word - ORIGINALITY.

How do you shoot the Devil in the back....?

This film defines the modern film noir thriller. By engrossing the viewer within its multi-layered story, Singer is able to provide a flawless performance from all the characters. Kevin Spacey acts as the seducer and reveals bit by bit the events leading to the climax by analysing the traits and lore surrounding each character. The unseen villain at the heart of the story is the perfect combination of film noir mystery and intrigue, only given a voice by his associate Pete Postlethwaite in another excellent performance.

The central themes of The Usual Suspects revolve around pride, honour, arrogance, betrayal and fear as methods to manipulate the human mind. The final act of the plot is well known, but it is still mesmerising again and again.

Each viewing of the film opens a new layer to the story or a new angle that was missed previously. If you haven't seen it, please do; if you have seen it - see it again.

The Usual Suspects

Basically agreeing with the other two reviewers above, 'The Usual Suspects' is a clever and innovative movie with one of the best movie twists ever! I'd recommend it to anyone, and another surprising factor is that for a detailed and complex movie, it's very easy to follow and understand!

Amazing

Wow - watch this carefully - you will not be disappointed. Beware it is a bit slow at first but you tell me a character development film that isn't!

Highly recommended!

Unforgetable

If there ever was a movie to have everything, this is it. Brilliant to watch, excellent characters, Kevin Spacey's acting captures you and leads you through the movie as it unfolds beyond your imagination. There is no room for disappointment with this one. Brilliant throughout.

An All-Time Classic

As above. This is one of greatest film of the 1990?s, if not the best. An excellent, intelligent, post-Tarantino thriller that surpasses most of Quentin?s work both through the detail in the tale, and the triumph of substance over style. The actors are all fantastic, Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne and Benicio Del Toro, although superb elsewhere have never been better than they are in this. The film delivers on a cinematic level through it?s absorbing characters and striking plot and at a critical level with it?s perpetual use of unreliable narrators. Incredibly highly recommended.

[Highly rated reviewer]

The main suspect was the film...

the crime was wasting over an hour and a half of what I at least consider to be precious time. The verdict was a uninamous one;

Guility!

Woeful. The cast give you such high hopes but it just never gets going. It scuttles along with no real purpose overplaying its 'look at us, how clever are we with all these twists' hand and all along anyone with half a brain can see the ending coming an absolute mile away.

I won't say anymore as I don't want to give anything away but it was the least shocking ending I have ever seen in my life and how it gets the reputation it has based mainly on said finale is truly beyond me.

Should be in your top ten

This is a fantastically crafted film with lots of false leads that all come together in the final scene. Clever dialogue and a faultless performance from everyone of the ensemble - brilliant!

The most overrated film of all time?

Having heard so much about this film I was really looking to watching it, I now wish I hadnt . The film was boring and mediocre. Although it had a talented cast they were unable to save the film from being another one of those Hollywood films that tries to be clever but by the end you think why bother. I cant help thinking that everyone who rated this film must be suffering from the emperors new clothes syndrome