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September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Screen & Stage • Film

The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects is a 1995 crime thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

The Usual Suspects is a 1995 crime thriller known for its twist ending and nonlinear storytelling. It follows a police interrogation after a deadly ship explosion, revealing the mythic crime lord Keyser Söze.

What it is

Directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie, the film centres on Roger “Verbal” Kint recounting a chain of crimes and a shipboard massacre. Its ensemble cast includes Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, and Chazz Palminteri.

Why it matters

The film won Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Kevin Spacey). It is widely celebrated for its intricate plot and twist ending, becoming a touchstone in crime-thriller cinema.

Key details

Released in 1995, the film runs about 106 minutes and is a US/Germany co-production. It has been available in Canadian home-video and streaming catalogues, part of the internationally recognized crime-thriller canon.

In short

  • 1995 crime thriller directed by Bryan Singer, written by Christopher McQuarrie.
  • Won Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
  • Known for its twist ending and nonlinear narrative structure.
  • Features an ensemble cast including Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, and Chazz Palminteri.
Canadian angle

The film has been available in Canadian home-video and streaming catalogues, and it is part of the broader canon of internationally recognized crime thrillers watched by Canadian audiences.[11][14]

Quick questions

What is The Usual Suspects about?
It is about a police interrogation after a deadly ship explosion, with a suspect named Verbal Kint describing the crimes and the criminal mastermind Keyser Söze.
Who directed The Usual Suspects?
Bryan Singer directed the film.
What awards did The Usual Suspects win?
It won Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Usual_Suspects
    Supports: Basic plot description and core premise.
  2. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/
    Supports: Film identification, cast, genre, and critical description of the twist and storytelling.
  3. Wikipedia — https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Usual_Suspects_(film)
    Supports: Director, writer, and Academy Award wins.
  4. IMDb repository — https://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~wcai/784files/imdb_Repository/imdb_000288.html
    Supports: Release date, runtime, genre, director, writer, stars, and plot summary.
  5. MovieMeter — https://www.moviemeter.com/movies/crime/the-usual-suspects
    Supports: Runtime, country, director, release date, and plot elements.
  6. Apple TV — https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-usual-suspects/umc.cmc.w0zax063fwhvr49p0czxmwba
    Supports: Synopsis and release year.
  7. Wikipedia — https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Usual_Suspects
    Supports: Canadian viewer relevance through availability and title recognition in a Canadian context.