The Usual Suspects (1994)

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Director:

Bryan Singer

Writer:

Christopher McQuarrie (written by)

Release Date:

16 August 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Five Criminals . One Line Up . No Coincidence

Plot:

A boat has been destroyed, criminals are dead, and the key to this mystery lies with the only survivor and his twisted, convoluted story beginning with five career crooks in a seemingly random police lineup.

Plot Keywords:

Criminal | New York | Suspect | Explosion | Revenge

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 22 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Stephen Baldwin	...	Michael McManus
Gabriel Byrne	...	Dean Keaton
Benicio Del Toro	...	Fred Fenster
Kevin Pollak	...	Todd Hockney
Kevin Spacey	...	Roger 'Verbal' Kint
Chazz Palminteri	...	Dave Kujan, US Customs
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Kobayashi
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Jack Baer, FBI
Suzy Amis	...	Edie Finneran
Dan Hedaya	...	Sgt. Jeffrey 'Jeff' Rabin
Paul Bartel	...	Smuggler
Carl Bressler	...	Saul Berg
Phillipe Simon	...	Fortier
Jack Shearer	...	Renault
Christine Estabrook	...	Dr. Plummer

Also Known As:

Die üblichen Verdächtigen (Germany)
Los sospechosos de siempre (Argentina) (Uruguay) [es]
оНДНГПХРЕКЭМШЕ кХЖЮ (Russia) [ru]
De misstänkta (Sweden) [sv]
De mistenkte (Norway) [no]
Dezurni krivci (Serbia) [sr]
Die üblichen Verdächtigen (Austria) [de]
Epäillyt (Finland) [fi]
Ha-Xashood Ha-Meya'di (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
I soliti sospetti (Italy) [it]
Közönséges bünözök (Hungary) [hu]
Obvyklí podezrelí (Czech Republic) [cs]
Olagan süpheliler (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Os Suspeitos (Brazil) [pt]
Os Suspeitos do Costume (Portugal) [pt]
Osumljenih pet (Slovenia) [sl]
Podejrzani (Poland) [pl]
Sospechosos habituales (Spain) [es]
Sospitosos habituals (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Suspects de convenance (Canada: French title) [fr]
Usual Suspects (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and a substantial amount of strong language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Hungarian | Spanish | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Philippines:R-18 | India:A | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A | Chile:18 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

The fingers on 'Kevin Spacey (I)''s left hand were glued together to make his character's disability more realistic.

Goofs:

Continuity: When McManus lights the "finest taxi service" on fire, he drops the lighter, and the sky-view of the car shows fires starting on three separate places on top of the car: the hood, roof, and trunk.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Keyser Soze: How you doing Keaton?
Keaton: I can't feel my legs... Keyser.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Becker: The Usual Suspects (#3.5)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

LE SONS ET LES PARFUMS TOURNENT DANS L'AIR DU SOIR

A stone cold CLASSIC!

'The Usual Suspects' has received a lot of comment for its killer twist ending, which while by no means the first in movie history, has proved to be enormously influential (stand up Messrs. Fincher and Shyamalan...). But this movie is so much more than a surprise ending! It is a meticulously scripted, faultlessly acted masterpiece that stands up to repeated viewings. Every single time I watch it I notice some new detail, or get more enjoyment out of a performance or scene.

This movie really put Kevin Spacey on the map, but everyone in the ensemble cast is outstanding, even Stephen Baldwin(!), who has never appeared in a movie this good before, or since. I also got a kick out of the Paul Bartel ( 'Death Race 2000', 'Eating Raoul') cameo, and the ultra-cool Peter Greene's ('Laws Of Gravity', 'Pulp Fiction') all too brief appearance. Bartel is sorely missed, and Greene one day (mark my words!) will become the star he deserves to be.

Director Bryan Singer has yet to live up to the promise shown here with his subsequent movies, the average 'Apt Pupil' and the disappointing 'X-Men'. For all the acclaim he and the (admittedly superb) cast have received, the real star of 'The Usual Suspects' is Christopher McQuarrie's sensational script, one of the finest of the modern era, and one that genuinely deserved it's Oscar.

It really doesn't get any better than this!! One of the greatest movies ever made, any time, any where. A truly unforgettable experience.