4 star 4K restoration of a nineties neo-noir masterpiece.
The Usual Suspects is a 1995 American crime thriller film, written by Christopher McQuarrie (Top Gun: Maverick, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One) and directed by Bryan Singer (Jack the Giant Slayer, Superman Returns).
It has enjoyed a 4K UHD restoration and is available to purchase from 6th January 2025 on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video.
“It didn’t make sense that I’d be there. I mean, these guys were hard-core hijackers. But, there I was. At that point I wasn’t scared. I knew I hadn’t done anything they could do me for. Besides, it was fun. I got to make like I was notorious.”
The story is presented in the form of narration from one of the characters, Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey – L.A. Confidential, American Beauty), a crippled short-con artist who happens to be one of only two survivors of a boat explosion in the San Pedro harbour which killed twenty seven people. Police detective Jeff Rabin (Dan Hedaya – Mulholland Drive, Slapface) and customs officer David Kujan (Chazz Palminteri – Legend, Bullets Over Broadway) have a limited amount of time to interview him and find out the events leading up to the explosion.
He recounts the events which began six weeks ago with the hijacking of a truck full of gun parts. The result of this was a voice line-up of five men, Hockney (Kevin Pollak – End of Days, A Few Good Men), McManus (Stephen Baldwin – Bio-Dome, A Carpenter’s Prayer), Fenster (Benicio Del Toro – Sicario, Traffic), Keaton (Gabriel Byrne – Stigmata, Miller’s Crossing) and of course Verbal himself.
This supposedly chance meeting leads to a series of heists, some more successful than others. This then leads them to the rather insistent lawyer Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite – When Titans Ruled the Earth, Inception) who claims to be working for the legendary and terrifying Keyser Söze (and has the strangest accent I have ever heard). All of this takes them inexorably onwards towards the boat explosion. But can the two policemen get to the truth before they run out of time to interview Verbal?
“I was out of line. But they’re never going to stop with us, you know that. As clean as you could ever get, they’ll never let you go now.”
The Usual Suspects is a brilliant film. Riding the wave of neo-noir crime thrillers in the nineties, this superbly written and award winning film was one of the best of the era. Boasting a cast most films could only dream of, as well as amazing performances from all concerned, it’s a must watch for fans of crime drama.
The story is as twisty as you like, with a conclusion that blows your mind the first time you see it, and while it bears watching again and again, it will never be quite the same once you know.
With a fantastic restoration, crispy picture and soundtrack as well as lots and lots of special features, this is sure to delight both fans of the film and newcomers alike. Well worth adding to your collection.
“Keaton always said “I don’t believe in God, but I’m afraid of him.” Well, I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Söze.”
The Usual Suspects is available to own now on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Limited Edition Blu-ray.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• 4K restoration from the original negative approved by cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary with director Bryan Singer and writer Christopher McQuarrie
• Audio commentary with editor and composer John Ottman
• The Devil in the Details, an archival interview with Newton Thomas Sigel
• Archival interview with John Ottman
• Round Up: Deposing the Usual Suspects, a two-part featurette delving into the creation and production of The Usual Suspects with exclusive clips, interviews with key figures, and raw footage from the making of the film
• Keyser Söze (Lie or Legend?), an archival featurette
• Heisting Cannes with The Usual Suspects, archival footage from the film’s world premiere at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival
• Introducing The Usual Suspects, an original EPK featurette
• Deleted scenes with introduction by John Ottman
• Gag reel
• Interview outtakes with Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio del Toro, and Bryan Singer
• International trailer
• U.S. trailer with introduction by John Ottman
• TV spots
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
• Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Barry Forshaw
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
| Director | Bryan Singer |
| Genre | Crime, drama, mystery, thriller |
| Starring | Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Benicio Del Toro, Pete Postlethwaite |