Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 156 Ratings

  • Starring: Chazz Palminteri, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey
  • Summary: Five career criminals in New York are rounded up for a standard police line-up. After release, they get together for a bit of revenge by pulling off a $3 million emerald heist. This scheme brings them to the attention of an underworld crime figure who convinces them to do a highly dangerous job.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. A near-classic blend of mystery, personality, humor and terror, laced with one stunning shock after another. [18 August 1995, Friday, p.C]
  2. Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    80
    For my money, The Usual Suspects was the pulp fiction of the '90s.
  3. Reviewed by: Frank Lovece
    60
    Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie's tough-guy dialogue and Bryan Singer's crisp direction give the ensemble cast every opportunity to shine, and they do.
  4. 38
    To the degree that you will want to see this movie, it will be because of the surprise, and so I will say no more, except to say that the "solution," when it comes, solves little - unless there is really little to solve, which is also a possibility.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 54
  2. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Bryan Singer provides an outstanding before I went to make superhero films movie that is strongly written and also provides the best Spacey performance ever. Expand
  2. "The Usual Suspects" has a misleading storyline with limited settings applied throughout the movie. However, it is Brian Singer's clever direction associated with a two-face performance by Kevin Spacey that made the Climax of the movie possible. Expand
  3. RDalvi
    7
    Intelligent film. Excellent performances by Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri. Stephen Baldwin surpises with a cool performance. Because of it Is aw many crime thrillers like Man On Fire, Se7en and Fight Club. Only the script has a couple of loose ends. Also leaves some questions unanswered. Even then an intelligent and gritty thriller with a superb ending. McQuarrie is a brilliant writer and Singer a brilliant director. Expand
  4. JR.
    4
    I'm not sure whats so great about this movie. It really didn't hold my attention for what ever reason and I found the plot pretty bland. It annoyed me as it tried to be intelligent and suprising when I didnt really think it was. Clearly a lot of people liked it so I wish I could see what they saw.There is really nothing I 'did not get' in this mvie and I'm wondering where the layers of depth in the plot are. Expand

See all 54 User Reviews