--- title: "The Usual Suspects" year: 1995 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-usual-suspects" fi1m_id: "the-usual-suspects" imdb_id: "tt0114814" tmdb_id: 629 wikidata_id: "Q132351" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 10 published: "2026-09-13" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:19.357541+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Usual Suspects (1995) Directed by Bryan Singer · 1h 46m · MPA R · Drama, Crime, Thriller ## Identity The Usual Suspects - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-usual-suspects - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-usual-suspects - **IMDb ID:** tt0114814 - **TMDB ID:** 629 - **Wikidata ID:** Q132351 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/629, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132351 **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 73 from 10 reviews *In a sentence:* Five criminals, one line-up, and nobody we would lend a tenner > Bryan Singer’s crime thriller is tightly controlled, darkly funny and well worth the concentration it demands. Christopher McQuarrie’s plotting keeps us absorbed, though the people can feel thinner than the mystery surrounding them. ## Synopsis Five criminals find themselves in the same police line-up: McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), Fenster (Benicio del Toro), Hockney (Kevin Pollak) and Verbal (Kevin Spacey). Their meeting begins a crime story told through Verbal’s account and scenes of interrogation. As his narration follows events involving the group, questions accumulate about what brings these men together and how much of the story can be trusted. Chazz Palminteri plays Dave Kujan and Pete Postlethwaite plays Kobayashi in Bryan Singer’s crime thriller, written by Christopher McQuarrie. ## Review Bryan Singer’s *The Usual Suspects* is a good evening’s work for anyone who enjoys being made to pay attention. It takes the familiar business of criminals talking about crime and makes every account sound as though it needs checking. Christopher McQuarrie’s screenplay is intricate, funny and sometimes too pleased with its own cleverness, but the film earns most of the effort it asks of us. We recommend it with one reservation: the mystery receives more care than the people caught inside it. The police line-up supplies five men and an immediate reason to study them. Gabriel Byrne gives Keaton a gravity the story needs, while Benicio del Toro makes Fenster’s contributions sound agreeably peculiar. Stephen Baldwin’s McManus and Kevin Pollak’s Hockney help keep the exchanges abrasive and funny. With Kevin Spacey’s Verbal completing the group, the casting gives us enough differences in temperament to remain interested in who is speaking. McQuarrie’s dry dialogue lets us enjoy their company without asking us to approve of it. Spacey has the particular difficulty of making Verbal’s narration hold our attention without making the questioning seem redundant. We were uneasy listening to him. The interrogation keeps making us reconsider how much faith to put in the man speaking, and Spacey makes that judgement difficult without losing our interest. That is a considerable acting achievement in a thriller which places so much weight on a man telling a story. Newton Thomas Sigel’s cinematography gives the film’s nocturnal world a persuasive air of danger. His dark images suit a story in which there is so little reason to trust anyone, and they do not make the actors seem incidental. Howard Cummings’s production design helps the criminal world feel plausible even as the plotting becomes elaborate. The surroundings support the performances without competing for attention, a useful discipline in a film already asking us to keep track of so much. Editors Peter S. Elliot and John Ottman have a difficult job: the story must remain followable while its telling keeps encouraging doubt. Their cutting maintains the pace through the questioning and the narrated events, with little sense of stopping to explain things. Ottman’s music adds to the unease, and his work across cutting and scoring helps the film maintain its grip. The rhythm matters: a less controlled version of this material could leave us impatient for the questioning to finish. That reservation about the characters does matter, though. A crime thriller can offer the pleasure of an elaborate puzzle, and Singer is unusually good at sustaining that pleasure, but McQuarrie’s criminals do not always seem to have lives beyond the next piece of information. We can follow their predicament without feeling much concern for them. The humour and the performances prevent the film from becoming dry, yet the cleverness occasionally leaves us aware of how carefully our attention is being managed. At 106 minutes, it does not give us much opportunity to dwell on that complaint. There is enough enjoyment in listening closely and watching the ensemble to justify the concentration. Choose it when both people on the sofa want to pay attention; this is poor company for anyone also trying to answer messages. *Fi1m score 82, published 13 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like it, and the praise falls in two places: Christopher McQuarrie’s script and the ensemble that delivers it. The reviews describe a labyrinthine puzzle that keeps its grip from first scene to last, credit Singer’s discipline behind the camera, and say the film holds up to a second viewing, which is not something every twist-driven thriller can claim. Several note a dry, wicked humour running under the double-crosses. Later assessments treat it as a fixture of the 1990s neo-noir revival rather than a period curiosity. The spread is wide. The two dissenters, RogerEbert.com and Slant Magazine, make the same complaint: the film is built to serve its twist and there is little underneath once the trick is known, with character motivation giving way to manipulation. The New York Times, broadly approving, also finds it short on emotional depth. Even admirers admit it can be maddening, and The New Yorker spots one weak link in the cast. ## Straight answers **Is The Usual Suspects worth watching?** *The Usual Suspects* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a crime thriller that demands close attention, and we scored it 82. Christopher McQuarrie's plotting is intricate and darkly funny, and the ensemble keeps the talk abrasive and alive. Our one reservation is that the mystery receives more care than the people caught inside it, so do not expect to feel much for them. **How long is The Usual Suspects, and what is it rated?** *The Usual Suspects* runs 1h 46m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and crime film. **Where can I watch The Usual Suspects in the US?** *The Usual Suspects* is streaming on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and The Roku Channel in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The Usual Suspects, and is it suitable for children?** *The Usual Suspects* carries an 18 certificate in the UK and an R in the US, so it is not suitable for children. It is a crime thriller about violent men, told through interrogation and narration rather than spectacle, and our review found it more unsettling than gory; the unease comes from not knowing whom to trust. Older teenagers who can follow a dense plot will manage it, but the certificate should be respected. **How does The Usual Suspects compare to Rashomon?** *The Usual Suspects* and [*Rashomon*](https://film.one/film/rashomon) both ask us to weigh accounts we cannot fully reconcile, but Bryan Singer's film is a playful crime puzzle where Akira Kurosawa's is a disturbing drama about a killing. *Rashomon* is the more serious and more affecting of the two, though its dialogue sometimes explains what the images have already shown. Choose the Singer for wit and plotting, the Kurosawa for weight. **What should I watch after The Usual Suspects?** After *The Usual Suspects*, try [*Rashomon*](https://film.one/film/rashomon) (1950, Fi1m 92): For the pleasure and discomfort of listening to accounts we cannot reconcile. Then [*Le Samouraï*](https://film.one/film/le-samourai) (1967, Fi1m 88): A quieter criminal world, with suspicion carried through faces and exact movements; and [*Nine Queens*](https://film.one/film/nine-queens) (2000, Fi1m 83): Quick conversation and criminal ingenuity, with almost nobody worth taking at their word. ### Reviews we read (10) - **Empire**, Ian Nathan (90/100, inferred): The film is a morbid, disturbing, labyrinthine journey into the darker recesses of the criminal psyche and a dazzlingly proficient piece of filmmaking that confirms Singer as a prodigious talent. It borders on genius with its intelligent script, fine cast and skilful manipulation of image and sound. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/usual-suspects-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): The film is a polished, virtuoso-style criminal roller coaster and maze of twists that viewers will enjoy getting lost in, driven by director Singer's disciplined control and the vigorous screenplay. It offers pure stylistic pleasure alongside its tale of power and betrayal. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-16-ca-35554-story.html) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (90/100, inferred): The neo-noir mystery is praised for its complexity, wicked storytelling, and ability to outsmart the viewer, delivering pleasure in its tall-tale structure and paranoia. The nocturnal tone and ensemble cast (with one noted weak link) enhance its appeal over similar crime films. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/08/14/the-big-roundup) - **The Independent**, Ryan Gilbey (80/100, inferred): The film is more opaque than similar thrillers, with deception built into its structure. It is a maddening movie that pulls fast ones but offers dust-dry humour and an unfaltering grip if the viewer is prepared to take it on the chin. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/video-roundup-5625374.html) - **Time Out**, GA (80/100, inferred): This labyrinthine, very well played thriller never lets up, involving five criminals brought together by the mysterious Keyser Soze. Working from Christopher McQuarrie's marvellously tortuous script, Singer creates a classy, thought-provoking mystery that is pleasingly old-fashioned yet modern in its play with myth and storytelling. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-usual-suspects) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (70/100, inferred): The stylish film noir succeeds as an intricate, twisty ensemble piece with sharp dialogue and strong performances that will reward repeat viewings. It excels at gamesmanship and visual flair but falls short on emotional depth. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/16/movies/film-review-putting-guys-like-that-in-a-room-together.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the twisty plot ultimately unsatisfying and prefers stories driven by character motivation rather than clever manipulation. The interrogation scenes and Verbal's narration are noted but do not overcome the feeling that there is less substance than the film suggests. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-usual-suspects-1995) - **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film overly reliant on its famous twist ending and lightweight in its engagement with noir conventions. He concludes that it amounts to little more than sound and fury signifying nothing. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-usual-suspects/) - **Eye for Film**, Jeff Robson (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film still fresh and ranks it as Bryan Singer's best work, praising its expertly sustained puzzle, witty energy, and peerless ensemble cast that rewards repeated viewings. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-usual-suspects-film-review-by-jeff-robson) - **The Ringer**, Brian Raftery (80/100, inferred): The critic positions The Usual Suspects as a key example of the 1990s neo-noir revival, noting its knotty plots, amoral protagonists, and irredeemable villains alongside other films of the era. He argues these movies reflected a disorienting time of economic and social unease rather than mere nostalgia. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2021/07/07/movies/nineties-neo-noir-film-history-usual-suspects-basic-instinct) ## Details - **Director:** Bryan Singer - **Director:** Bryan Singer - **Writer:** Christopher McQuarrie - **Cinematography:** Newton Thomas Sigel - **Editor:** Peter S. Elliot, John Ottman - **Music:** John Ottman - **Production design:** Howard Cummings - **Costume design:** Louise Mingenbach - **Producer:** Bryan Singer, Michael McDonnell - **Cast:** Stephen Baldwin as McManus; Gabriel Byrne as Keaton; Benicio del Toro as Fenster; Kevin Pollak as Hockney; Kevin Spacey as Verbal; Chazz Palminteri as Dave Kujan; Pete Postlethwaite as Kobayashi; Suzy Amis Cameron as Edie Finneran - **Runtime:** 1h 46m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 15 September 1995 - **Genres:** Drama, Crime, Thriller - **Also in:** [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1995) - **Budget:** $6 million - **Box office:** $23 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM3jrHGAsIE ## Where to watch in the US - HBO Max: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Hulu: add-on, hd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-13.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BG, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HU, ID, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PH, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1996: Best Supporting Actor (won); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won) - National Board of Review Award for Best Cast 1995: National Board of Review Award for Best Cast (won) ## If you liked this - *The Killing* (1956): Another criminal ensemble whose carefully organised business gives us ample reason to worry. - *Rashomon* (1950), Fi1m 92: For the pleasure and discomfort of listening to accounts we cannot reconcile. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rashomon.md) - *Le Samouraï* (1967), Fi1m 88: A quieter criminal world, with suspicion carried through faces and exact movements. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/le-samourai.md) - *Nine Queens* (2000), Fi1m 83: Quick conversation and criminal ingenuity, with almost nobody worth taking at their word. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/nine-queens.md) - *L.A. Confidential* (1997), Fi1m 88: Intricate crime plotting with more room for the people doing the damage. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/l-a-confidential.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-usual-suspects