Well acted but the script is manipulative and implausible

Rating: 6/10 (4 February 2012)

Why many people think so highly of The Usual Suspetcs is a mystery. I'll give it 6 out of 10 because of some fine performances, most notably Kevin Spacey's, but as a whole the thing is a violence-filled mess. The ending simply does not follow from the film and seems to have been dragged in to resolve a problem that is not all that interesting to begin with. The editing is also confusing; without seeing it at least a second time it is hard to make sense of what has happened when. Throughout the film we are led to believe that the character played by Gabriel Byrne is central to the plot, only to discover at the end that he is not. To put it succinctly: this film cheats the viewer. Don't trust the judgment of anybody who tells you that this is a great or even a good film.