The Usual Suspects (1995)
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.
Presentation:
Does this classic thriller stand the test of time? How did 5 misfits came down to only one survivor? The audio quality doesn’t empower Kevin Spacey’s narration, with his trademark commanding presence suffering compared to future legendary performances. The ending is slow with unequal pacing and arcs that aren’t equally interesting with dips in engagement throughout the whole film. There’s a bit of inconsistency at times feeling bare due to a minimalistic score. But the plot is good, which may make you forgive the less compelling dialogue driven tone.
Story:
I think the whole film is quite predictable once the question is presented, “who is Keyser Soze?” Especially when Kevin Spacey is the only survivor while narrating the film as well as always plays these roles, it’s hard not to narrow it down. This early performance of his lacks the gravitas appropriate for the subversive ending especially with his cartoonish acting with unconvincing tears and whining. But it's still a good concept, it's just unfair because it is fantastic for its time but audiences today have built an expecation for thrillers. We've been exposed to so many more twists that the originals don't have the same oomph. It's just the nature of watching so many films, the old ones aren't always able to stay as relevant.
Conclusion:
The film doesn’t hold a candle to Se7en, but it’s still pretty good even for today’s standards. The problem with some of the pre 2000 films is their storytelling is often too explicitly told, making this thriller not as compelling as it could be save for an iconic ending. I’m unconfident whether it can have the same punch in today’s market of oversaturated thrillers.
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Recommendations
Hollywood film noir doesn’t seem that high up anymore.