Prime Video just got a classic thriller movie with one of the best twists ever — and viewers rate it 96% on Rotten Tomatoes

Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro & Kevin Pollak in "The Usual Suspects" — (Image credit: FlixPix / Alamy Stock Photo / Gramercy Pictures)

The full list of movies added to Prime Video in September 2025 is fairly lengthy, and while there are plenty of excellent new additions to found, one that immediately stands out is “The Usual Suspects. This ‘90s thriller is arguably one of the most iconic films in the genre and for very good reason.

This Bryan Singer movie is still celebrated almost 30 years after its initial release and continues to influence the genre not just with its engrossing storytelling but also because of its fantastic twist (which I promise not to spoil in this article). “The Usual Suspects” has all the ingredients a thriller needs to be labeled a true must-watch.

This thriller movie has such a strong reputation, that it sells itself on name recognition alone. Now that it’s available to stream on Prime Video (as of Sept. 1), you’re probably adding it to your watchlist already, but if you need a little more convincing, here are all the details you need about this legendary thriller…

What is ‘The Usual Suspects’ about?

Written by Christopher McQuarrie, who would go on to become a close collaborator with Tom Cruise writing/directing multiple movies in the “Misson: Impossible” franchise, “The Usual Suspects” is a tense and riveting thriller with a single question at its core: Who is Keyser Söze?

In the wake of a job gone wrong at the San Pedro Harbor that resulted in the death of 27 men, one of only two survivors of the incident, a timid con man named Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey), is interrogated by the police. Verbal explains how he and his associates came to be involved in the ill-fated heist, and more importantly how they all came into contact with the aforementioned enigmatic crimelord.

The authorities are initially skeptical that Söze even exists, with some believing he’s merely a phantom created as a decoy, but as Verbal's twisting story unfolds, the mystery surrounding this mysterious criminal mastermind deepens, and the shocking truth of what really happened is eventually revealed.

‘The Usual Suspects’ is an iconic thriller for a reason

Gabriel Byrne as Dean Keaton in "The Usual Suspects" — (Image credit: Cinematic / Alamy Stock Photo / Gramercy Pictures)

One of my favorite aspects of “The Usual Suspects” is its narrative structure. Told via a series of flashbacks, as Kint sets out his story to a U.S. customs agent (Chazz Palminteri), the story unfolds at a gripping pace. A big draw of “The Usual Suspects” is trying to figure out what is fact and what is fiction — just don’t be surprised when there’s more going on than you first thought.

Of course, you can’t really talk about this classic thriller movie without mentioning that ending. As promised, I won’t spoil anything. But I’ll just say there’s a reason it’s regularly ranked as one of the best movie twists ever. A huge part of its lasting appeal is that it doesn’t feel cheap, or used for shock value, but instead, it's a satisfying conclusion and makes perfect sense in hindsight.

“The Usual Suspects” is a consistently enjoyable, and very well-constructed, thriller. Its most impressive achievement is how well it’s stood the test of time. While many modern thrillers build on the ideas that Singer and McQuarrie laid out in 1995, sometimes you need to appreciate the original, and this classic crime movie has very much earned its glowing reputation.

An image of a police car on fire from "The Usual Suspects" — (Image credit: Cinematic / Alamy Stock Photo / Gramercy Pictures)

I’m clearly not the only one with an appreciation for “The Usual Suspects”. The movie holds a strong 83% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s the movie’s audience score that is most impressive at a whopping 96%. It’s highly regarded on IMDb too, scoring 8.5 out of 10 and earning a spot on the site's top 250 movies.

As you would expect, many viewers praise the movie’s infamous twist, but there’s also plenty of enthusiasm for the cast (Kevin Spacey actually won an Oscar for his role).

One audience review on Rotten Tomatoes even notes that you’ve “just gotta watch twice” and that’s a sentiment I echo. Once you’ve seen the complete picture, a rewatch lets you pick up new details that you missed the first time around, and that’s the hallmark of a fantastic thriller.

Stream ‘The Usual Suspects’ on Prime Video now

“The Usual Suspects” is such a well-regarded and iconic movie that I suspect (no pun intended) that many readers will have already watched this ‘90s classic. But if it's passed you by, don’t worry, you’re not too late to the party. This flick holds up remarkably well and is just as thrilling in 2024 as it was three decades ago when it was first released in movie theaters.

This is a very welcome new addition to the Prime Video movie library, but it’s far from the only worthwhile newcomer this month. The Amazon-owned streaming service has also received a very spooky dark thriller from director Sam Raimi. However, if you’re looking for something a little newer, we’ve got a roundup of the top new movies arriving across services this week.

Stream "The Usual Suspects" on Prime Video now

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Rory is a Senior Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.