The Usual Suspects

US (1995): Crime/Thriller/Mystery

Ever since this convoluted thriller dazzled audiences and critics in 1995 and won an Oscar® for Christopher McQuarrie's twisting screenplay, The Usual Suspects has continued to divide movie lovers into opposite camps. While a lot of people take great pleasure from the movie's now-famous central mystery (namely, "Who is Keyser Söze?"), others aren't so easily impressed by a movie that's too enamored of its own cleverness to make much sense. After all, what are we to make of a final scene that renders the entire movie obsolete? Half the fun of The Usual Suspects is the debate it provokes and the sheer pleasure of watching its dynamic cast in action, led (or should we say, mislead) by Oscar®-winner Kevin Spacey as the club-footed con man who recounts the saga of enigmatic Hungarian mobster Keyser Söze. Spacey's in a band of thieves that includes Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, and Benicio Del Toro, all gathered in a plot to steal a large shipment of cocaine. The story is told in flashback as a twisted plot being described by Spacey's character to an investigating detective (Chazz Palmintieri), and The Usual Suspects is enjoyable for the way it keeps the viewer guessing right up to its surprise ending. Bryan Singer directs. (Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com)

(Note from Gary Moody: This is one of the few films that I watch again and again because of its fine plotting and superb ensemble -- even though I know the "surprise" ending.)

· Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1995: Kevin Spacey
· Best Achievement in Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) 1995: Christopher McQuarrie

2 nominations, 2 Awards