10 Classic Movies You've Always Misunderstood
3. The Usual Suspects - The Twist Is Brilliant Because We'd Already Had One
Bryan Singer's masterful thriller is an endlessly watchable, tightly woven film that delivers everything you could ever want from a movie. Its final twist, that Verbal Kint is in fact crime mastermind Keyser Söze, is so ingrained in popular culture that (like The Sixth Sense and Fight Club) you can't be chastised for accidentally revealing it (but in case I just have, how have you not seen it?).
When people discuss the greatness of the film, they often jump to the brilliant twist. Citing the scene near the beginning where Verbal sits, eyes darting over the bulletin board, it's signposted, yet impossible to spot. However, there's a lot more to the twist than just that.
Before Kujan sees the hometown of Quartet boards, the audience has already been rocked once; we've had the first reveal that it was Gabriel Byrne's Keaton who was the shadow prince of crime. It's a twist within a twist. You, like the police, let your guard down, allowing the final reveal to floor you. So many people treat the reveal as just a great twist, when its in fact a masterful playing with the audience.