This will probably go down as one of the worst re-watches I've ever had. When I saw this the first time I felt it was a dazzling thriller, with excellent performances and a very intelligent script. While I think the performances are still outstanding, with Spacey still being the best among them, the script, having the veil of the mystery and the twist lifted, shows its true nature, a messy and unengaging one.

I appreciate the disjointed narrative. It is for the better part of the film done pretty well. The first time most people see this results in confusion as to what is actually going on. Nothing wrong with that and knowing what was going to happen I could…

From the very first moment of The Usual Suspects, as classical strains introduce an evocative confrontation between Gabriel Byrne's disgraced cop and a mysterious, sinister figure in a long coat, you know this isn't likely to be your average crime thriller. Bryan Singer's second, breakout movie is, in fact, an absolute revelation - a modern crime story shot with the texture of a classic film noir, Christopher McQuarrie's magnificent script delivering twists, turns and hard-boiled dialogue to die for. Quite possibly, this is the greatest screenplay never adapted from a better novel.

To me, Singer's film is like a sublime jigsaw, a portrait on film made up of pieces that steadily fit together to make the picture - before, minutes…

I've put off on watching this film for so damn long for one single reason and that is the fact that I've had it spoiled years ago and could never really forget it, meaning I'd lost interest in seeing The Usual Suspects for good. I do however realize that even with the knowledge of how it ends it might still be an entertaining film and as unfair as it is for me to review this one I have to admit I still thought it was rather pleasantly surprising. With an All-Star cast and a fairly well-written script it was always bound to do well but seeing it so high on the IMDb Top 250 always seemed strange to me but…

I am studying this in relation to a screenwriting module at University, so have decided to write about it purely on those terms. If you would like to contribute to my notes on this film I would be most appreciative, and I hope you find what I write interesting. I am doing this in relation to writer Chris McQuarrie, with "Valkyrie" and "Jack Reacher" being the other two flicks of his I am studying.

Okay so the screenplay flits between timelines very liberally, setting events in motion, but allowing for gaping narrative holes that later have to be pieced together by the audience. This is a deliberate touch by McQuarrie and very much plays into the picture's "jigsaw puzzle" structure.…

Firstly what a great cast, each of the five leading men play their parts perfectly and show great chemistry working together. The plot is a great one with no real mellow periods as it just consists of varying levels of tension and intrigue. Without spoiling the ending, I predicted something completely different but looking back on the film I should have realised that it was an obvious red herring. There was some great action sequences and the score in particular also provided a kind of cat burglar tone which was good. I will single out Kevin Spacey just because I think he is brilliant in everything, with this performance coming dangerously close to American Beauty. The whole movie I didn't…