Slightly less than the sum of its parts

Rating: 7/10 (2 March 2016)

"Who is Keyser Soze?". It's become a part of the pop cultural lexicon over the last two decades. Even I'd used it a few times, and I'd never watched Bryan Singer's 'The Usual Suspects'. That is, until today.
Occupying the 25th slot in IMDb's top 250, 'The Usual Suspects' obviously comes with some rather lofty expectations for a first time viewer like my self, but I endeavored to keep them in check and judge it on its own terms. My first blush impression is that it's very much of its era. Not so much in its fashions and other such baubles and beads as its attitude. It's very much of that mid-90s explosion of "indie" neo noir crime films like 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Fargo'. Like those films, it has an exceptional ensemble cast and a story that demands you pay close attention. That said, I guessed the twist (which I had somehow avoided for these past twenty years) pretty early on. I'm usually pretty oblivious to these things, so I was surprised to have seen it hiding in plain sight as it were.
Stylishly made and boasting strong performances, 'The Usual Suspects' is a tight little mystery. I wasn't exactly blown away, finding the total a bit less than the sum of its parts, but at least I can finally use that Keyser Soze line without being a poser.