A brass bullet casing stands upright on scorched wood against a deep red glow.

Original artwork, not a still

Verbal Kint

How do you shoot the devil in the back? What if you miss?

— The Usual Suspects • 1995

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

This question turns confrontation into a nightmare scenario. Shooting the devil comes up first, but the second sentence introduces doubt, imagining the catastrophe of a missed shot. Fear and hypothetical failure sit right behind the opening line.

Context reviewed

Share this quote