The Usual Suspects (1995)
Hello you. Make a cup of tea. Put a record on. Try something atmospheric. Miles Davis or maybe Bernard Herrmann. Something that drifts through the air like cigarette smoke in a dimly lit interrogation room. Something that makes you feel like you’re about to hear a story that will change everything you thought you knew.
Let’s talk about The Usual Suspects.
Pressing Play
It’s 1995. Se7en is redefining crime thrillers, Toy Story is introducing CGI to the world, and Britpop is at war with itself. Meanwhile, a young director and an unknown screenwriter have just made a film that will mess with your head and make you question everything you just saw.
A gang of criminals. A heist gone wrong. A name whispered in fear. Keyser Söze.
What Makes This Film Unique
Most crime films are about action. This one is about manipulation. It’s about how easily you can be lied to. How a story, told the right way, can make you believe anything.
Verbal Kint, a small-time con man with a limp and a gift for storytelling, sits in a police station spinning a tale about five criminals, a deadly job, and a crime lord who may not even exist. The film layers lie upon lie until you no longer know what is real. And then it pulls the rug out from under you.
Christopher McQuarrie’s script is razor-sharp, a labyrinth of deception that demands a second viewing. Bryan Singer’s direction is confident, subtle. He knows exactly how much to show you and, more importantly, what to hide. And then there’s Kevin Spacey as Verbal, delivering a performance so effortless, so disarming, that you don’t realize what he’s doing until it’s too late.
Personal Connection and Relatability
If you’ve ever trusted the wrong person, The Usual Suspects understands. If you’ve ever been so sure about something, only to realize you’ve been played, this film is speaking directly to you.
It’s about power. About the illusion of control. About the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of things, even when the truth is right in front of us.
Filmmaker’s Vision and Impact
Christopher McQuarrie wrote a script that no one wanted to make. Too complicated, too clever, too much talking. Then Bryan Singer came along and turned it into a masterclass in misdirection.
The cinematography is deceptively simple. No flashy tricks, no over-stylized nonsense. Just a series of conversations, glances, details that seem meaningless—until they aren’t.
And that final scene? That slow realization? That’s cinema at its most powerful.
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist." – Verbal Kint
You’ll Like This If
You enjoy crime films that reward patience and attention to detail.
You appreciate a story that unfolds like a slow-burning con.
You love an ending that changes everything in the final moments.
You Won’t Like This If
You prefer action over dialogue.
You don’t enjoy unreliable narrators.
You like your mysteries solved neatly, with all questions answered.
For Fans Of
Memento (2000). Another film that plays with perception, memory, and truth. If The Usual Suspects leaves you questioning everything, Memento will only push you further down the rabbit hole.
Look Out For
Kobayashi’s name. The coffee cup. The bulletin board. Everything you missed the first time around.
If You Like This, Try This
L.A. Confidential (1997). Another noir-infused crime film with a tangled web of deception and a killer cast. Less of a puzzle box, but just as engrossing.
Why You Should Care
Because The Usual Suspects isn’t just a movie. It’s a magic trick. It sets up a con, makes you feel like you’re in control, and then leaves you standing there, stunned, as the truth disappears before your eyes.
You’ll never watch it the same way twice.
See you on down the road.
