The Greatest Trick Bryan Singer Ever Pulled Was To Convince The World That This Film Is Just Another Thriller

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2013)

The greatest trick The Usual Suspects ever pulled was to convince its audience that it's just another crime thriller. For the majority of its runtime, it travels the same route many other examples of its genre have done before, narrates its complex plot in a manner that does enough to keep the viewers around until the end & within those final moments, delivers a masterstroke so profound that it changes everything that unfolded on the screen before.
The story of The Usual Suspects is covered in flashbacks & is narrated by a small time conman who is one of the only two survivors from the boat explosion that killed 27 men. His recounting of the events during his interrogation by the FBI links back to the time when he & four other criminals were rounded up by the police after which they formed a group of their own. Things become interesting when the near-mythical criminal mastermind's name comes up.
Fabulously directed by Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects is his breakthrough feature for it instantly catapulted him into the Hollywood limelight & the way he managed to bring the outstandingly written script to life is laudable. Singer progresses the plot in a slow n steady manner which lets the tension build up naturally & also employs various twists n turns at regular intervals to keep the viewers guessing and he is wonderfully supported by its rich cast.
However, the film lacks a refined presentation for the narrative sometimes feels convoluted while on other occasions, it's highly intriguing. Editing at times struggles with the pacing but for the most part, it's brilliantly carried out. Cinematography encapsulates the whole picture with a foreboding atmosphere along with a mysterious vibe while John Ottman's score further elevates those elements which in turn makes the experience all the more suspenseful.
Coming to the performances, the cast comprises of Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollak, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite & others. And while everyone is good in their respective roles, Spacey manages to take his role further with remarkable simplicity whether it's his dialogue delivery, vacant expressions or cerebral palsy. Finally, the image of Keyzer Söze looms over the plot so much that the character is already an iconic figure way before appearing on the screen.
On an overall scale, The Usual Suspects is a tense, confusing, captivating & entertaining cinema that delivers a mind-blowing experience the first time & is even more fun the second time around when you try to connect the dots from your first experience, and that's exactly when the film's biggest strength is revealed. It's so meticulously crafted with subtle placement of hints that it requires a bit of commitment from its audience but the reward in the end is incredibly fulfilling too. One of the defining works of 1990s cinema with a plot twist as legendary as Keyzer Söze himself, The Usual Suspects comes strongly recommended.