Guide Note

The Usual Suspects is the story of a con man, Roger "Verbal" Kint, whom, during interrogation by U.S. Customs, leaks information leading to a massacre and a huge fire. The complexity of the story increases as he tries to explain why his partners-in-crime were on that boat in the first place. Writer Christopher McQuarrie and director Bryan Singer had trouble gaining funding for the film due to concerns over the non-linear plot and large amount of dialog. As a result, the film was shot in 35 days on a budget of $6 million. The Usual Suspects won two Academy Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.

Fast Facts

1. Written by Christopher McQuarrie
2. Directed by Bryan Singer
3. Classified as a neo-noir
4. The film was released at the Sundance Film Festival in 1995
5. Staring: Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio Del Toro
6. Won BAFTA Awards for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Editing
7. Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor(Spacey) and Best Original Screenplay (McQuarrie)
8. Shot in 35 days on a $6 million budget