The Usual Suspects

R 1995 | 106 mins | Thriller
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The best thrillers are the ones your brain wrestles with long after the final credits roll. And nearly 15 years after the film's theatrical release, the twists and surprises of The Usual Suspects will still blow your mind. This gritty tale begins with a botched heist, a ship in flames and nearly everyone on the scene dead. One survivor is Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey), a crippled small-time crook who offers a rambling account of the events leading up to the crime. Through flashbacks we're introduced to Verbal's associates played by Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak and Benicio Del Toro. After meeting on a seemingly random police lineup, the fab five are enticed into action by an elusive criminal mastermind named Keyser Soze. But who is this mystery villain? Director Bryan Singer cleverly keeps you from figuring this out until the very last moments of the film. Then, you'll probably want to watch the entire movie again just to appreciate the clues that were right before your eyes.

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Top 10 Fun Facts

  1. Found in translation: screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie reportedly chose the name "Keyser Soze" with help from an English-to-Turkish dictionary.
  2. Al Pacino calls The Usual Suspects the film he regrets turning down the most (he had to pass due to scheduling conflicts, which turned out to be great news for Chazz Palminteri).
  3. The only man for the job: the part of Verbal Kint was written with Kevin Spacey in mind.
  4. Paying it forward: Spacey suggested Benicio Del Toro for the role of Fred Fenster, although McQuarrie had intended the part for a "Harry Dean Stanton" type.
  5. The cast was encouraged to adlib natural reactions to Del Toro's hilariously broken English. We're guessing that accounts for all the giggles during the line-up scene.
  6. More ad-libby goodness: Redfoot the Fence was supposed to flick his cigarette at McManus' chest, not his face. So Stephen Baldwin's reaction is 100% real.
  7. Also real? Those stolen emeralds! The production managed to borrow honest-to-goodness gemstones for the film.
  8. On set birthday buddies: both Stephen Baldwin and Gabriel Byrne were born on May 12th.
  9. Spacey utters Baudelaire's famous quote "the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing man he didn't exist." Rod Steiger says the same line in End of Days, a movie that also happens to feature usual suspects Gabriel Byrne and Kevin Pollak.
  10. "Be cool, guys - my mom's here." Director Bryan Singer's mother scores a cameo as a hospital nurse.