The Usual Suspects Movie Review

The Usual Suspects was one of the best movies of 1995, featuring a dazzling, tautly constructed screenplay by Oscar winner Christopher McQuarrie and a star-making performance by Kevin Spacey. The less you know about the film in advance, the better, because the story will put you through more twists and turns than a roller coaster ride, and half the fun is the sheer unexpected inventiveness of it all. McQuarrie and director Bryan Singer had previously worked together on Public Access, 1993's Grand Jury Prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival. Spacey had been toiling in Hollywood since 1987 and steadily attracting a legion of admirers who believe there's nothing this brilliant actor can't play.

1995 (R) 105m/C Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Pollak, Stephen Baldwin, Benicio Del Toro, Giancarlo Esposito, Pete Postlethwaite, Dan Hedaya, Suzy Amis, Paul Bartel, Peter Greene; D: Bryan Singer; W: Christopher McQuarrie; C: Newton Thomas Sigel; M: John Ottman. Academy Awards ‘95: Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Spacey); British Academy Awards ‘95: Best Original Screenplay; Independent Spirit Awards ‘96: Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Del Toro); National Board of Review Awards ‘95: Best Supporting Actor (Spacey); New York Film Critics Awards ‘95: Best Supporting Actor (Spacey); Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards ‘95: Best Supporting Actor (Spacey); Nominations: Academy Awards ‘95: Best Screenplay; British Academy Awards ‘95: Best Film; Golden Globe Awards ‘96: Best Supporting Actor (Spacey); Independent Spirit Awards ‘96: Best Cinematography; Screen Actors Guild Award ‘95: Best Supporting Actor (Spacey). VHS, LV, Closed Caption, DVD