The Usual Suspects

Verbal Diorama meets Verbal Kint in a neo-noir crime thriller, based somewhat on a true story, from the mind of Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie.

An idea based on a line from Casablanca, The Usual Suspects takes five felons in a line-up and creates the layers of deceit and twists, before the final realisation that Keyser Söze may not be who we thought it was - or was he?

Who is Keyser Söze?

With a heavyweight cast of big names and character actors, everyone in this movie is impeccable to the very end. The film's iconic twist ending cleverly invites viewers to question everything they thought they knew about the characters.

The Usual Suspects' atypical non-linear storytelling made it stand out against other neo-noir crime dramas of the 90s, along with its extremely unreliable narrator. What is true? What isn't? The line-up scene and Benicio del Toro's unexpected flatulence during filming is very true, and led to a scene that became one of the film's most memorable and humorous moments.

But really the legacy of the film and how it became a cult classic, aided by a brilliant marketing campaign, is the lingering mystery and pop culture creation of Keyser Söze.

I would love to hear your thoughts on The Usual Suspects !

Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards and was nominated for the Earworm Award at the 2025 Golden Lobes.

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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

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