Who is Keyser Söze? Nobody has ever seen him and he’s known as some myth of a ruthless killer. But he exists somewhere, and it has to be one of these suspects. The Usual Suspects is a thriller film written by Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer in 1995. It’s about these 5 people who have been accused of the same crime, Verbal, Keaton, Fenster, McManus, and Hockney, but it's also got the mystery of Keyser Söze in the mix. It is a phenomenal film, the suspense that builds up keeps you on your toes and it’ll keep you guessing who could be the one behind it all.

The character building is great in The Usual Suspects, with most characters having their own small background like Fenster and McManus being partners for crime, or Keaton with a history of being “dead”. But the most interesting character is Keyser Söze. The thing with Mr. Söze is that it’s too bad to be true, being known as some ruthless killer who goes after anyone, and even if he is some spook story, the possibility of his existence is the driving force of the characters’ actions, moving quickly as soon as they hear the name Keyser Söze. It goes to show how serious of a matter he is and it’s what keeps the suspense going.

How the story is told is intriguing, going back and forth from the past to the present. The plot is shown in a simple yet interesting way, being told in a police station by Verbal to Agent Kujan. It feels just like an interrogation when it cuts back to the present and Verbal is asked more questions, while when it cuts back to the past it shows exactly what Verbal tells. It gets more intense when Agent Kujan gets more information that Verbal didn’t tell and he gets more arrogant towards him. It’s a great way to build more tension as the film goes on.

This film has some of the best dialogue I’ve ever heard in any media, with how the actors deliver these lines and how the characters react whenever they talk to each other. One of the most iconic lines Kevin Spacey delivers as Verbal is when he says “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” I can see why many other media have referenced this line; it describes Keyser Söze perfectly and is poetic in an artistic way. 

The Usual Suspects is a classic and a must-watch film for anyone in the thriller or crime genre. It has iconic dialogue, building suspense, the mystery of Keyser Söze, and a plot twist you wouldn’t be able to guess on your first watch. Be cautious about what words you hear and keep a lookout for Keyser Söze, the criminal mastermind.