The Usual Suspects, Etc.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Usual Suspects, Etc.

I watched The Usual Suspects recently. Yes, I know it's been out for years but I hadn't seen it yet. I thought it was pretty good. Kevin Spacey does more than his fair share of scenery chewing but I still enjoyed it. Here's the thing. I knew the twist at the end before going in. No one told me what it was, but I've done enough reading about movies to have figured it out on my own. That happens. It was the same thing with The Sixth Sense. I read several articles about the movie ahead of time that kind of pointed out the big plot secret. It never bothers me to see a movie knowing how it ends, it doesn't spoil it for me. What's fun for me is to watch a movie, knowing how it will end, with someone who doesn't. Obviously, when I know, I see the little clues sprinkled throughout the movie that usually you have to go back and catch during a second viewing. It's fun to see how everything leads up to a climax that (in theory) you didn't see coming.

I have to admit, I'm the same way with books. After I've read the first few chapters and am invested in the characters, I jump ahead and read the last chapter. I'm not exactly sure why I do it, but I can't help it. I have to know who's still with me in the end.

I'm curious. Have you ever watched a movie knowing how it ended and wished you hadn't known?