The Usual Suspects

So this movie wasn't officially on my Netflix list, but I have been interested in seeing this movie for a long time. It also doesn't really hurt the fact that the film is pretty well known, critically acclaimed, and has a lot of good talent like Spacey and Del Toro. I think perhaps the reason it took me so long to watch this movie is because I think I knew the secret to this film before I watched it and I wanted to get enough time in between so I had maybe forgotten... but I didn't.

The Usual Suspects follows the story of 5 criminals who are brought in one day to stand in a line up because they are, the usual suspects. The team includes Dean Keaton (played by Gabriel Byrne), Fred Fenster (played by Benicio Del Toro), Michael McManus (played by Stephen Baldwin), Todd Hockney (played by Kevin Pollack) and Verbal Kint (played by Kevin Spacey). While in holding, they hear of a job that they all can get rich off of and they agree to go into it, not knowing the dire consequences that end up for them all through the consequences.

All of this is mainly told in a flashback told by the character of Verbal Kint who is at the end of the story and telling the cops exactly what happened from his perspective.

This film was directed by Bryan Singer and he brings this very interesting Neo-Noir feel to the film in this pretty quick and very personal story that was actually pretty enjoyable.

Everyone in the film does a pretty good job because it is a group of pretty well known and high performance actors. Obviously you've got Kevin Spacey, but you've also got Gabriel Byrne who I actually haven't seen in a movie prior or since this movie. Kevin Pollack gives a really great performance and hell even Stephen Baldwin does a great job in this film.

I have become a pretty big fan of Benicio Del Toro since I saw Sicario, but I can't say I was overly impressed with him in this film. But he has a pretty small part so there isn't actually a lot for him in the film.

This film works because it's not just a crime thriller. It's a lot more than that. I can't say a lot because I really don't want to give anything away because I imagine the movie is a lot better if you have no knowledge of any kinds of twists at all, but the film is very strong and there's a little bit more than you expect, especially in the end.

Yeah I don't know, this might be a short review because there's only so much you can say about this film.

If you take it at face value, it really is a good action crime thriller and that could be it. But there really is more to it and even if you know what I knew, you still come out of the movie pretty impressed.

Are there problems with the film? Yes, there are.

It does take a little bit for the movie to actually get going and even when it does, it does take a little bit of time for you to totally understand how this story is structured and how exactly this can really be something more than a confusing structural mess of a story. However, when you get to the end, you realize why this all ties together and the more you think about it, the more you will like the film.

I just finished it maybe a half hour ago and I think that I want to go back and watch it again to get everything from it. And the best part is, it's a pretty short movie. It's about an hour and 46 minutes and it doesn't feel very long at all. Like I said, it does take a little bit to get into the beginning of the film, but once you're in the meat of it and it's going, it's a roller coaster all the way to the end and I don't necessarily feel that I got all of it the first time around.

I think the best way to go into this movie is to think of it like a smaller more personal version of the movie Heat. I love Heat and I think I actually like that movie more than The Usual Suspects, but for totally different reasons. Again, it's hard to explain totally with the nature of the movie, but I highly recommend you check this movie out for yourself and let me know what you think. And whatever you do, don't look up anything about the plot or any of the twists and turns that go along with it.

But those are my thoughts on The Usual Suspects. Probably a much shorter review than I've wanted to do with any film, but definitely one I recommend. It has a bit of a slow beginning, but once it gets rolling, you won't want it to stop. What do you think? Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @cmhaugen24 as well as send me your requests for films I should be reviewing in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

I'll leave you with this. I went into this movie knowing that Kevin Spacey was going to be great in it, and I left unsurprised with that assumption. This movie does make me want to go back and finally watch all of House of Cards Season 4 but I will definitely leave that to 2017. In the meantime Enjoy this!