MOVIE NEWS – Christopher McQuarrie, best known as Tom Cruise’s go-to director for the Mission: Impossible franchise, is hailed as one of the genre’s sharpest minds. His reputation stems from orchestrating jaw-dropping stunts and bringing cinematic weight to every sequel. Yet, his career didn’t start with high-octane action — it was the crime thriller The Usual Suspects that put him on the map, winning him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. And while that film is still widely respected, McQuarrie believes it wouldn’t land the same way today. The reason? In the age of the internet, the legendary Keyser Söze twist would be impossible to keep secret.

McQuarrie is currently making the rounds promoting Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, he hosted a masterclass — but while Tom Cruise’s unexpected arrival stole some attention, McQuarrie took the opportunity to reflect on The Usual Suspects, its muted box office run, and its iconic ending: “It was only in theaters for a few weeks. It made its money back, and then it was pulled and basically vanished. Only when it started circulating on home video within the industry did it really catch on by the time the Oscars came around.”

“With today’s internet culture and people being far more film-aware, I think pulling off a twist like that would be nearly impossible.”

The cast of The Usual Suspects featured standout names like Benicio del Toro, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri, Giancarlo Esposito, Dan Hedaya, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, and Pete Postlethwaite. Directed by Bryan Singer before his eventual fall from grace, the movie remains a powerful — though now controversial — title, largely due to Spacey’s role and his subsequent public disgrace.

The film received overwhelming praise upon release and maintains a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 87% from critics and 96% from audiences. Spacey’s performance also earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

McQuarrie Shared His Views on Theatrical Releases

Cruise wasn’t scheduled to appear in Cannes, but he ultimately joined McQuarrie on stage to discuss both the latest Mission: Impossible entry and the director’s broader legacy. When asked if The Final Reckoning would mark Ethan Hunt’s last outing, Cruise simply said: “I’d rather people just see it and enjoy.” He also lauded McQuarrie’s work, recalling their earlier collaboration on Jack Reacher.

McQuarrie then took the floor to talk about how theatrical windows affect filmmaking today, and why opening weekends matter more than ever: “One of the things that makes film what it is — and forces it to reach higher — is opening weekend. How long can it stay in theaters? How many people will it draw in? That keeps you honest. It keeps you from getting complacent.”

“Show me a director with total creative freedom, and I’ll show you someone making movies for a very limited audience. If only a hundred people see what I’m saying, then the message isn’t worth telling.”

He also critiqued Hollywood’s tendency toward studio rivalry, promoting instead a spirit of collaboration — especially when a figure like Cruise champions competing releases: “We should be lifting each other up. That’s why you’ll see Tom out there promoting movies others might call competition. We’re not competing with anyone. Tom Cruise only competes with himself.”

Source: The Hollywood Reporter