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Movies / On DVD / The Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects

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The Usual Suspects (1995)

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89 %
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Reviews Counted: 45

Fresh: 40

Rotten:5

Average Rating: 7.5/10

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Director Bryan Singer's labyrinthine crime drama centers on five career criminals (played by Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak, and Stephen Baldwin) who meet after being rounded up for a standard police... Director Bryan Singer's labyrinthine crime drama centers on five career criminals (played by Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak, and Stephen Baldwin) who meet after being rounded up for a standard police line-up. Upon their release, the men band together to pull off an intricate heist involving $3 million worth of emeralds. Their success brings them to the attention of the enigmatic Keyser Soze, an unseen, nefarious, and mythic underworld crime figure who coerces them into pulling off an important and highly dangerous job. The scenes that follow make THE USUAL SUSPECTS one of the most fascinating crime thrillers in cinema history. Working from the Oscar-winning screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, Singer adroitly tells the complex story through flashbacks, cross-cutting, and voice-over narration. Such nimble handling of the intricacies of the nonlinear narrative adds to the suspense, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats until the clever, satisfying finale. Singer's expertise in the technical aspects of filmmaking--his use of a dioptic filter to keep two close-up faces in focus, as well as his inventive use of six-frame step printing--helped him earn his reputation as a visually impressive and stylish director. Filled with excellent performances from veteran actors (Kevin Spacey won his first Academy Award for his breakthrough role as Verbal Kint), THE USUAL SUSPECTS placed Singer squarely on the cinematic map. [More]

Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak

Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio Del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Suzy Amis, Giancarlo Esposito

Director: Bryan Singer

Director: Bryan Singer
Producer: Bryan Singer
Screenwriter: Christopher McQuarrie
Composer: John Ottman

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 24, 1997

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1 Encoding
  • Commentary by the director and screenwriter
  • Keep Case

Reviews for The Usual Suspects

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/18/08
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
03/31/08
David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Stylishly made but narratively hollow and dramatically derivative, Bryan Singer's puzzle-homage to Tarantino is nonetheless well-directed and well-acted, particularly by Kevin Spacey who won a Supporting Oscar.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 1 Comment
09/01/06
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Ratings Image

To many young film buffs, this is where film history begins and ends.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
07/08/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image

McQuarrie's script is a scurrying lizard of a yarn, scaly, swift and difficult to follow.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
07/07/06
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Ratings Image

If ever a movie got extra points for a strong, unexpected conclusion it's The Usual Suspects.

comment Comment
01/23/06
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily
Ratings Image

Not to be believed for a NYC second.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/09/05
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ratings Image

One of the most ingenious, unpredictable films in recent memory... and one of the biggest cheats.

Full Review Source: Mr. Brown's Movies | comment Comment
12/22/04
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies
Ratings Image

It's a real dazzler -- a neo-noir hybrid of a heist and a mystery film that sucks you into a dark world where nothing is what it seems.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/03
Leonard Schwarz
Palo Alto Weekly
Ratings Image

This movie finally isn't anything more than an intricate feat of gamesmanship, but it's still quite something to see.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

It is a complex story, but I found it fun.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
03/27/03
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Ratings Image

Fantastic ensemble crime thriller with the mystique of an underworld urban legend. A Breakout project for both Benecio Del Toro and Director Bryan Singer.

comment Comment
03/22/03
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image

What a cast, what a script, what a movie. We need some more of these.

comment Comment
02/09/03
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com
Ratings Image

Good, but...movies don't come more overrated.

comment Comment
02/02/03
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
12/16/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Ratings Image

Too predictable. Still enthralling enough to watch (at least twice).

comment Comment
11/22/02
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
11/12/02
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Ratings Image

The Usual Suspects loses some of its impact with subsequent viewings, but it remains a superior picture with much to enjoy beyond its unforgettable ending.

Full Review Source: Montreal Film Journal | comment Comment
09/10/02
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal
Ratings Image

In many ways, the viewers are the mark in this audacious con game… and its brilliance is all the more impressive for it.

comment Comment
08/13/02
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for The Usual Suspects

April 02, 2008: Kevin Spacey Up for More Superman Movies
If and when Warner Bros. gets around to making a sequel to Superman Returns, Kevin Spacey will be happy to return as Lex Luthor. More...

June 20, 2007: Cast Update for Cruise & Singer's "Valkyrie"
The last time director Bryan Singer and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie got together, the result was "The Usual Suspects." Now they're back with a war-time thriller... More...

March 22, 2007: Tom Cruise Signs Up for Bryan Singer's WWII Thriller
Bryan Singer will get his as-yet-untitled World War II thriller in front of camera early this summer, and he'll have at least one (very) heavy hitter sitting on his bench: Tom... More...

March 16, 2007: A "Superman Returns" Sequel? Don't Hold Your Breath
All that talk about potential villains for the "Superman Returns" sequel will have to remain conjecture for awhile -- the film's director, Bryan Singer, has his plate... More...

See More Topics...

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