The best thriller ever made.

Rating: 10/10 (26 April 2004)

Spoiler Alert The Usual Suspects is a great film, possibly the best thriller ever made. A plot-line that is guaranteed to have you arguing with your friends for years to come. At the end we are fed Kevin Spacey as Keyser Soze, but is he?
The choice to shoot the majority of this film at night only adds to the suspense, the dark holding as many questions and fears as the plot and characters themselves. A bold decision by a young director, at this time yet to make a mark in Hollywood. Although Bryan Singer is now perhaps best known as the director of the (currently) two X-Men films this picture will probably be regarded as his masterpiece.
It gave us a chance to see career best performances from actors we would never have expected greatness from, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak and Giancarlo Esposito to name a few. Benicio Del Toro gave a kinetic performance as Fred Fenster, showing glimpses of the Oscar winner he was to become. As for Gabriel Byrne, he makes Dean Keaton one of the most truly memorable screen criminals, a fantastically understated performance that must have divided peoples opinions as to whether he, or Kevin Spacey gave the standout performance, in a film that seems to be a masterclass of characterization. Bryan Singer truly appears to be an "actors director". Also spare a thought, not only for the main players, but the incredible supporting cast, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Posthlethwaite, Dan Hedaya, Paul Bartel, et al.
They have combined to bring us one of the most intelligent, dark, and thoroughly enjoyable movies you will ever see.