Disc Reviews
The Usual Suspects 4K Review
The Usual Suspects 4K Review
A 4K edition of Bryan Singer’s masterful The Usual Suspects has been long overdue on 4K, and Arrow Video are here to provide. The film is a classic of its time and it’s amazing how well it has aged. In fact, it gives new movies a run for their money these days. TUS makes it obvious how lacking we are in decent crime thrillers.
The story sees five criminals of varying quality come together in a bogus police line up. After that event they decide to club together to get a bit of revenge against the cops, but soon find themselves brought to the attention of a criminal mastermind who needs them to some further work. The further they dive the more complex things become. Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Benecio Del Toro, Kevin pollack and Kevin Spacey make up for the eponymous five in career high performances.
Singer, was on his second feature, along with regular cohorts: DP – Thomas Newton Siegal, Editor/Composer John Ottman with a script by Christopher MacQuarrie (which won the Oscar that year). It was a stand out thriller of the mid 90s and remains a classic of its genre to this day.
The look of the film is immaculate. I don’t know what work needed to be don’t to get it to 4K standard, but it seems like a film that has been well preserved down the years and the upgrade is crisp and clear.
As for the bnus material this is all carried over from the special DVD edition that came out the better part of two decades ago. But that isn’t bad news. The commentary tracks are excellent – especially the writer/director chat track. The making of material is also top notch with a 2-part 50 minute documentary featuring the main 5 actors and the main crew. You have all you need right here to learn about the making of the film.
This one is an easy buy for anyone looking to uphgrade a classic or buy a film they haven’t yet seen that’s going to remain on their shelves.
Steven Hurst
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
The Usual Suspects 4K is out on 6th January 2025