The Usual Suspects has stood the test of time for having one of the greatest thriller twists in movie history. The 1995 crime movie starred some of the best actors at that time, including Gabriel Byrne, Pete Postlethwaite, and Kevin Spacey. The premise for the movie was “five guys who meet in a police line-up,” but the story centers on a heist run from afar by a legendary crime lord, who turns out to be nearer than he appeared. The ending of The Usual Suspects contains an elaborate twist that almost eclipses the rest of the movie.
In The Usual Suspects, the timid and limping Roger “Verbal” Kint, played by Kevin Spacey, is telling the story to Agent Dave Kujan. Verbal’s story is compelling and detailed, as he explains how each of the men had wronged the Turkish crime boss, Keyser Söze. Once Verbal has finished, Kujan allows him to leave but realizes that Verbal had made the story up on the spot, using objects in the room as prompts and that he is the real Söze. The Usual Suspects ending is a movie twist that gets better with every rewatch.
Why The Usual Suspects Keyser Söze Twist Is Still One Of The Best In Movie History
The Usual Suspects Combines Two Storytelling Techniques To Mislead The Viewer
The Usual Suspects‘ ending took the movie from good to great and has gone down in history as one of the greatest movie twists of all time. Its success is partly due to the standout performances of the actors, but mostly because the clues were there in the room the entire time. The Usual Suspects gives a final visual punch, showing Verbal becoming a completely different person onscreen, collecting his gold watch and losing his limp, before vanishing. This perfect twist leaves the viewer, and Kujan, shocked and trying to remember everything Verbal had said earlier.
The role of Agent Kujan in
The Usual Suspects
was offered to Christopher Walken and Robert De Niro, but both turned it down.
The Usual Suspects combines two storytelling devices, which results in a first-time viewer being extremely unlikely to spot the twist. First, it introduces the red herring, with Gabriel Byrne’s character appearing to have control of the group, which could lead some viewers to suspect that he is actually Keyser Söze. Though Verbal confirms this to be true, The Usual Suspects then reveals its second storytelling device, the unreliable narrator, just minutes from the end, which casts doubt on every previous event. Though repeat viewers know Verbal’s true identity, the twist gets better with every view.
The Usual Suspects Keyser Söze Twist Actually Gets Better With Repeated Viewing
Verbal’s Real Identity Is Revealed Within The First Few Minutes Of Meeting Him (But Only To Turkish-Speaking Viewers)
For first-time viewers, the movie’s plot stands on its own, and The Usual Suspects has some memorable quotes, even before the incredible twist ending. That said, the twist ending in The Usual Suspects gets even better with repeated viewing. Throughout the movie, there are hints that Verbal is not who he appears to be, including the fact that the unknown gunman who shot Dean had a gold watch and lighter, as Verbal claimed when leaving the police station. Another is that when Verbal describes hiding behind a pile of rope, the camera shot does not show him there.
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12 Complex Movies That Reward You For Paying Attention
Complex movies like Memento and The Usual Suspects are extremely rewarding for those who pay attention, as the plots build toward twist endings.
The Usual Suspects‘ ending is a twist that viewers would figure out if they spoke another language. While many of the characters are relatively stoic when being interrogated, Verbal lives up to his name, as it appears that stopping him from talking is virtually impossible. Turkish-speaking viewers would likely recognize the link between the nickname “Verbal,” and the terrifying crime boss’s name, “Keyser Söze.” Söze is Turkish, and the name comes from a Turkish word for “one who talks too much.” These little details make The Usual Suspects such a compelling movie, especially for repeat viewers.
Written by Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects is a Mystery film that features Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, and Benicio del Toro. The plot unfolds during an interrogation in which a con man speaks to investigators about what happened, being one of only two men that survived a massacre at the Port of Los Angeles.
- Director
- Bryan Singer
- Writers
- Christopher McQuarrie
