We'd like to brag that we totally saw the twist coming, but even 16 years later, we can still remember our slightly dislocated jaws after they dropped as far as they've ever dropped before.
The 1995 thriller came out of nowhere and rapidly became a film that someone would be inarguably wrong not to love. To celebrate our constant, undying affection for the film, here are 30 facts you may not know.
(Images: All Star)
The title comes from the name of an article in Spy Magazine that Christopher McQuarrie thought would make a great movie.
The line-up scene was originally intended to be serious yet the actors were messing around so much that director Bryan Singer decided to put the funniest version in. Blame supposedly lies with Benicio Del Toro's flatulence.
It's the second film where actor Peter Greene has referred to "the gimp" after his role in Pulp Fiction ("Bring out the gimp"). In The Usual Suspects he refers to Kit as "the gimp".
The F-word is used 98 times throughout.
When the characters are handed manila envelopes containing their personal details, the order references the order in which they die.
Al Pacino turned down the role of Dave Kujan due to scheduling conflicts. He's later admitted that he regretted this greatly.
The small role of Redfoot was offered out to Tommy Lee Jones, Charlie Sheen, Johnny Cash, Jeff Bridges and James Spader. It was eventually played by Peter Greene.
The interrogation scenes were shot prior to the rest of the film, over the course of five days.
The stolen emeralds were actually real gemstones, which were loaned for the shoot.
The music at the end of the film was based on a KD Lang song.
After Gabriel Byrne agreed to star, he then backed out suddenly due to personal problems. He only changed his mind after they agreed to make the film in Los Angeles in just five weeks.
Writer Christopher McQuarrie came up with the idea while working at a solicitors office. He made up the plot from a notice board.
30 of the close-ups in the film were actually done in Bryan Singer's backyard.
Benicio Del Toro decided that he was playing a "Black Chinese Puerto Rican Jew".
Neither Bryan Singer or Christopher McQuarrie was aware that the line "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing man he didn't exist" was from French poet Baudelaire until after the film was finished.
Benicio Del Toro deliberately made his dialogue unintelligible as his character was only there to die and set an example to the others. He didn't believe that anyone would care what he had to say.
Kevin Spacey claimed that Bryan Singer managed to convince all of the major actors that they were Keyser Soze. At the first screening, an angry Gabriel Byrne stormed off when he realised the truth.
Keyser Soze was based on murderer John List, who killed his family in the 70s and then disappeared for 18 years.
To make his disability seem more realistic, Kevin Spacey had his fingers glued together.
The character of Fenster was named after the German for window.
The long-standing feud between Kevin Pollak and Stephen Baldwin began on the set of this film. Pollak stated that Baldwin would bully the actors off-set as he was "in character".
Kevin Spacey met Bryan Singer at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival and was so impressed with his movie Public Access that he asked to be cast in his next film.
Due to Benicio Del Toro's unusual choice of accent, the rest of the cast were encouraged to adlib reactions.
Before Verbal leaves the station, he is handed back his belongings, which include a gold watch and a gold lighter. Keyser Soze is seen using both earlier in the film.
In the climactic gunfight, every Keyser Soze POV is immediately preceded by a shot of Verbal Kint.
Christopher McQuarrie originally used the character name Keyser Sume after one of his law firm supervisors but changed it slightly after he worried what he might think.
Execs at Gramercy Pictures were concerned that audiences might not be able to pronounce the name Keyser Soze so launched a teaser campaign with the tagline "Who is Keyser Soze?" before release and created TV spots which instructed people on how to say his name.
Soze translates to Verbal in Turkish meaning the twist was obvious in Turkey.
In the opening sequence, the unknown gunman urinates on a flame and it is gelatinous and lumpy. Later on, Verbal tells Kujan that when he gets dehydrated, his urine becomes gelatinous and lumpy.
Michael Biehn was originally set to star as McManus but had to turn it down as he had already signed up to Jade.
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