Exceptionally well-written by Christopher McQuarrie and brilliantly directed by Bryan Singer, and featuring a tour de force cast, “The Usual Suspects” is one of the greatest neo-noirs ever made. The plot unfolds in both New York and California, weaving actual truths with myth and imagination.

The story opens in San Pedro, CA, with Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), later revealed to be a crooked cop, badly injured and seated on the deck of a ship, attempting to set a fuse with his lighter. However, as the flame rapidly ignites the fuel-soaked rope, it is doused by a small shower of water from a dark figure urinating from the upper deck. The figure then descends and fires bullets at Keaton before torching the ship.

The following day, arriving at the crime scene, the police retrieve two survivors and 27 charred corpses from the wreckage. One survivor is a badly burnt Hungarian in a coma, while the other is a seemingly unharmed small-time crook named ‘Verbal’ Kint (Kevin Spacey). When the Hungarian regains consciousness, he trembles in fear and utters the name “Keyser Söze.”

Customs agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) arrives, eager to interrogate Verbal. LA Officer Jeff Rabin (Dan Hedaya) warns Kujan of immense political pressure to release Verbal, indicating powerful manipulation happening behind the scenes.

Despite initial resistance, Rabin permits Kujan to question Verbal informally. The plot unfolds during Verbal’s interrogation. It begins weeks prior with the hijacking of a truck containing weapons.

The NY police, lacking evidence, question felons Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollak), and Fred Fenster (Benicio del Toro), along with Keaton and Verbal. Despite harassment, the police release them due to lack of evidence. The lineup featuring the five suspects is one of the most memorable scenes in the movie.

Seeking revenge, the five men conduct a heist on a car containing jewels involved in an illegal police operation. They later travel to LA to sell the stolen jewels, becoming entangled in another heist orchestrated by a lawyer named Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite), working for the infamous Keyser Söze.

Verbal describes Söze as a larger-than-life, mythical figure who wreaks havoc on those who wrong him. As Verbal unfolds the narrative, it becomes clear that each of the fugitives has inadvertently crossed Söze.

The men are tasked with ambushing a drug-laden ship to redeem themselves, under the threat of Söze harming their loved ones. As they embark on the mission, twists and revelations abound, including Söze’s unexpected presence.

Verbal’s interrogation unveils further mysteries. Who is Keyser Söze? Is he among the fugitives? Kujan, believing he’s witnessed ruthless acts from one of them, hopes Verbal’s testimony will reveal the truth.

“The Usual Suspects” is characterized by strong performances, a riveting screenplay, and memorable dialogue. Nominated for three Academy Awards, it won two, including Best Original Screenplay for McQuarrie and Best Supporting Actor for Spacey. It has earned acclaim from critics and audiences alike, cementing its status as a crime masterpiece. Do not miss this movie!

Here are my favorite quotes from the movie (Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/quotes/)

Kunjan: First day on the job, you know what I learned? How to spot a murderer. Let’s say you arrest three guys for the same killing. You put them all in jail overnight. The next morning, whoever’s sleeping is your man. You see, if you’re guilty, you know you’re caught, you get some rest, you let your guard down.

Verbal: Who is Keyser Soze? He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him, but to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that, poof. He’s gone.

Verbal: Keaton always said, “I don’t believe in God, but I’m afraid of him.” Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze.