Excellently crafted.

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2017)

I very much want to keep this a spoiler-free review, because I had the twist ending spoiled for me and I think that definitely lessened the experience. While said twist may be the most remarkable aspect of the movie, it is certainly not the only thing that makes it a great story produced on a relatively modest budget. Brian Singer and Christopher McQuarrie both showcase some excellent talent in this their second movie, and while none of their later work has received the amount of acclaim that Suspects has, they have not lost their touch in evolving into two of the great writer-directors of the past 20 years.
The story is complex-- not so much that you will not be able to follow it, but enough that you probably won't fully understand it the first or even second time around. I wouldn't have minded getting a slightly deeper look into the world that our five criminals live in, but as it is we understand that it is a world in which those who are crossed or betrayed will seek vengeance. It is this that gives us our most interesting character who never even shows up: Keyser Soze. Regardless of who you think Keyser Soze really is, it is undeniable that he exerts a level of power that is rivaled by few others.
The other characters are decent and are played well by their actors, but not that deep. The dynamic between the five criminals is pretty good. McManus asserts himself as the leader, but Keaton proves that McManus' authority can be challenged. Fenster and Verbal serve as foils to each other. Fenster is the loudmouth that nobody listens to, where conversely Verbal uses his small personality to give himself more freedom from the others. I suppose this falls off a bit with Hockney, who doesn't play much of a role at any point. Despite his annoying accent, Kobayashi ends up being a decent presence in the movie, though he seems like a bit too much of a pushover to be employed by the likes of Keyser Soze.
I would recommend this for anyone who likes crime movies or interesting stories. It's a very well-done movie, but that does not necessarily mean you will like it. Nonetheless, it is worth a try. And even if you've had the ending spoiled for you, I would still recommend that you watch it. The ending won't be as good if you've had it spoiled, but the story up to that point is good enough that you should still be able to appreciate and enjoy it and even want to see it again. Overall Rating: 8.4/10.