The Usual Suspects (1995)
94%RT Audience Score: 96%
Awards & Nominations: Won 2 Oscars
37 wins & 17 nominations total
Expertly shot and edited, The Usual Suspects gives the audience a simple plot and then piles on layers of deceit, twists, and violence before pulling out the rug from underneath.
The Usual Suspects is like a game of Clue on steroids, with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. It’s a heist movie that keeps you guessing until the very end, and then hits you with a reveal that will leave your jaw on the floor. The cast is top-notch, with Kevin Spacey delivering a performance that will make you question everything you thought you knew. If you’re a fan of crime movies, this one is a must-watch. Just make sure you have a notepad handy to keep track of all the clues!
Production Company(ies)
Poly Gram Filmed Entertainment, Spelling Films, International, Blue Parrot
Distributor
Gramercy Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence and a substantial amount of strong language
Year of Release
1995
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 45m
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Language(s):English, Hungarian, Spanish, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 1995 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2003
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
Keyword(s)
starring Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Pollak, Pete Postlethwaite, directed by Bryan Singer, written by Christopher McQuarrie, drama, crime, mystery, thriller, R rating, box office gross, budget, reviewed by Rene Rodriguez, Doug Thomas, Jay Boyar, Anthony Lane, Michael Wilmington, Jack Kroll, Sheila Reid, Quentin Crisp, Margaret A McGurk, Mike Massie, Fico Cangiano, Steph Cozza, expertly shot, edited, layers of deceit, twists, violence, con man, crime lord, heist, explosion, San Pedro Harbor, multi-million dollar, mythic, corrupt, betrayal, flashback, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR, Scope (2.35:1), Michael McDonnell, produced by Bryan Singer, Gramercy Pictures, English, original language, runtime 1h 45m
Worldwide gross: $23,341,568
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $45,897,922
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,378
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,005,226
US/Canada gross: $23,341,568
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $45,897,922
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,113
US/Canada opening weekend: $645,363
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,269,016
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,254
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $6,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $11,798,159
Production budget ranking: 1,599
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $6,353,309
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $27,746,454
ROI to date (est.): 153%
ROI ranking: 761
Gabriel Byrne – Dean Keaton
Chazz Palminteri – Dave Kujan
Kevin Pollak – Todd Hockney
Pete Postlethwaite – Kobayashi
Kevin Spacey – Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint
Director(s)
Bryan Singer
Writer(s)
Christopher McQuarrie
Producer(s)
Michael McDonnell, Bryan Singer
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
37 wins & 17 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (78) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (69) | Rotten (9)
The Usual Suspects flirts with greatness but attempts too much. It’s a fascinating failure.
August 18, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
An imaginative, entertaining crime mystery with plenty of nerve and vigor.
June 18, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
Doug Thomas
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
If the pleasures of The Usual Suspects are the more superficial ones of ingenuity and style, those are abundantly available. The twists and turns of the plot are an awful lot of fun, while the ending is genuinely satisfying and surprising.
June 18, 2013
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
In a season of fat blockbusters, a picture as brainy, bitter, and compact as this one comes as a shock and a treat.
June 18, 2013
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
It’s a nerve-shredding suspense movie about corruption, a bravura actor’s show full of deliciously twisted cops and robbers, and a complex riddle packed with unexpected turns.
June 18, 2013 | Rating: 4/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
For many true movie fiends, noir is the key American movie type, and the most fun when it’s done right. The Usual Suspects is done right.
January 18, 2013
Jack Kroll
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Never a dull moment in this one!
May 13, 2022
Sheila Reid
Women in the Life
It is a wonderful film, with a plot as complicated as Farewell My Lovely and as violent as any of Mr. Stallone’s pictures.
April 25, 2022
Quentin Crisp
Christopher Street
Singer uses a clever combination of flashback and straight narrative to keep his tale of crime and betrayal moving through a tangle of blind alleys and false leads.
August 19, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
Features perhaps the most famous of all movie lineups and the most unforgettable series of unpredictable twists.
September 25, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
One of the best heist films ever made. Includes one of the all-time best twists/reveals in film history. [Full review in Spanish]
September 2, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
In all of my heist movies research, and all of the things that I’ve watched recently, I think The Usual Suspects might be the best heist movie of all time.
May 15, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Steph Cozza
Aggressive Comix…
Plot
Following a truck hijack in New York, five criminals are arrested and brought together for questioning. As none of them are guilty, they plan a revenge operation against the police. The operation goes well, but then the influence of a legendary mastermind criminal called Keyser Söze is felt. It becomes clear that each one of them has wronged Söze at some point and must pay back now. The payback job leaves 27 men dead in a boat explosion, but the real question arises now: Who actually is Keyser Söze?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of The Usual Suspects includes Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, and Pete Postlethwaite.
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