The article titled originally appeared as a column in Spy magazine . Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie credited the magazine's regular "The Usual Suspects" feature—named after the famous line from Casablanca —as the inspiration for his film's title and central concept: a group of diverse felons brought together by a random police lineup. Key Article & Review Perspectives
While the original Spy column provided the name, the film has since been the subject of extensive critical analysis and retrospective articles: The Usual Suspects