language a bit confusing during boat attack, where were cops? hard to like anyone in film

"The Usual Suspects" is a well-made film from start to finish and I do recommend you see it...maybe. Let me explain. While the film is excellent it also is unpleasant, violent, filled with expletives (particularly the old f-bomb) and has nothing but unlikable characters. For me, films like this, "Good Fellas" and "The Fight Club" are just pretty nasty films--but still, they are quality films--unpleasant quality films.

The film is a very confusing story about a gang of five guys who meet in the oddest way--at a police lineup! The five decide to get together for an illegal job and soon end up being extorted to do a job for 'Keyser Soze'-- man who no one seems to know but who inspires fear in those who hear his name (sort of like Valdemort). I'd say more, but frankly I don't want to ruin the film. Suffice to say, it's a film with a BIG twist--like "The Fight Club" or "The Crying Game" and so I'll stop with that.

The bottom line is if you like violent films with very graphic violence and language, then "The Usual Suspects" is for you. The acting, writing and directing are great. If you would rather see films a bit more uplifting or family-friendly, do NOT see this film! Seriously.

As an avid cinephile, who watches a lot of films to help me to be distracted from the pressures of everyday life, old and new and of all genres (have never had a bias against any genre and never love older films and dismiss new films, or vice versa),'The Usual Suspects' was one of the finest films personally seen in a while.

Other films to have that effect on me (and garnered 10/10 ratings, a rare rating for me these days) are 'LA Confidential', 'Amores Perros', Orson Welles' version of 'The Trial', 'City of God' and 'The Song of Bernadette', though some films came close as well as re-watches of favourites like 'Se7en', 'Much Ado About Nothing' (1993) and 'The Remains of the Day'.

Simply put, 'The Usual Suspects' is a magnificent film all round that deserves to be re-watched over and over again, one of the few films seen recently to not find any fault with it. Fully deserving of its reputation as one of the best modern, and perhaps overall, films ever made. Not everybody is going to disagree and that is fine.

'The Usual Suspects' is slickly and audaciously made, filmed with a lot of style and is atmospherically directed. It is also hauntingly scored. It is intricately and intelligently written by Christopher McQuarrie, some of the best screen-writing he ever did. It is beautifully and deftly directed by Bryan Singer. If remembered correctly, neither McQuarrie or Singer were well known at the time and it was 'The Usual Suspects' that put them on the map.

Film is famous for the iconic line-up scene, the noticeboard that haunts everybody forever and its killer twist, one for the ages and not one to forget in the long one. Twists have wildly varied in film, there are some ingenious ones but also some naff ones, 'The Usual Suspects' is one of the ingenious ones. 'The Usual Suspects' as said before doesn't just have its twist going for it. The flashback-packed story is similarly intricate and never feels muddled or convoluted.

It has some of the finest ensemble acting there has ever been. This is especially true for a mesmerising Kevin Spacey in one of the most deserved Oscar Wins that year. Spacey is just one of the all round brilliant performances. Pete Postelthwaite, an always dependable actor who is still very much missed, is suitably mysterious, and Dan Hedaya and Chazz Palminteri make their mark as the confused cops. Steven Baldwin doesn't have a particularly challenging role but has never been better, Gabriel Byrne is also solid.

Overall, magnificent film in every sense. Recommended with no hesitation. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Five hoodlums are hauled into a police station in a dragnet roundup of The Usual Suspects that are brought in for questioning when something big breaks. Good chance any one or all could have been involved. If you remember in the film The Brink's Job, there is a scene where within a day a lot of Boston's known hoodlums are brought in for questioning. The dragnet brought in Stephen Baldwin, Bernicio DelToro, Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, and Kevin Pollak. From this motley crew a gang is born.

Flash forward to several years later when there is a horrific fire on board a freighter where there has been a gun battle with many deaths. Kevin Spacey managed to survive along with two others of the freighter crew and is being questioned in the police station by US Customs Agent Chazz Palmenteri and LA cop Dan Hedaya.

After a couple of other jobs, this crew winds up working for a criminal mastermind from the Balkans who is known as Keyser Sose who is known to be so ruthless that the criminal population itself is scared to death. This guy is spoken of like he was Satan himself and of course the police want him big time also.

I can't say much more because the plotting of The Usual Suspects is so intricate and filled with unexpected twists that to spoil this film would be a crime itself. Some here like Stephen Baldwin give their best performances on screen. Kevin Spacey won his first Oscar, this one in the Best Supporting Actor category. The category has me stumped because it's his character that's the key to the whole film. The other Oscar The Usual Suspects won was for Christopher McQuarrie for one highly original Screenplay.

The Usual Suspects has enough action for those who crave that, especially when we do see the final battle on that freighter and it's also some highly literate dialog for those who appreciate that. It's best compared to that granddaddy of all caper films The Asphalt Jungle, it's that good.