One of the greatest crime dramas of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 2001)

Dark, spooky, full of shadowy images and shady characters, "The Usual Suspects" is, quite simply, one of the greatest crime dramas ever made. The writing is sublime, the acting magnificent and the score is top-notch, all of which contribute to create a taut, tense thriller in which five hardened criminals are rounded up and dropped into a situation in which they are not only way over their heads, but from which there is no escape. Kevin Spacey's Oscar-winning portrayal of crippled con artist Verbal Kint is masterful and truly well-deserved.
The entire story is told almost completely in flashback, as Kint relates the story of the death of his partners, and the events of the six weeks leading up to it, to the police who are interrogating him. At first evasive and vague, Kint begrudgingly hints to the existence of a faceless, seemingly omnipresent criminal mastermind, who goes by the (great) name of Keyser Soze. Soze is painted as a master criminal and manipulator who is behind every facet of the tragedy of the death of Kint's partners.
For those of you reading this review who have not actually seen the film, and do not know about the "twist" ending, I will only say this: I NEVER SAW IT COMING. The moment of clarity that comes just too late is probably the single greatest moment in a truly remarkable film.
In a recent poll by Entertainment Weekly, "The Usual Suspects was ranked #2 (just behind "Shawshank Redemption") in the category "Best Film to Watch Over and Over Again", and rightly so. This film simply does not get old.
If you are a crime drama fan, you MUST make this film a part of your library. It deserves to be ranked right up there among the classics of Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney.