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Film noir is not a clearly defined genre (see here for details on the characteristics). Therefore, the composition of this list may be controversial. To minimize dispute the films included here should preferably feature a footnote linking to a reliable, published source which states that the mentioned film is considered to be a film noir by an expert in this field, e.g.
Film noir (/ n w ɑːr /; French: [film nwaʁ]) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylized Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir.
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An iconic film noir title. The Killing is a 1956 film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and produced by James B. Harris. It was written by Kubrick and Jim Thompson and based on the novel Clean Break by Lionel White. In The Killing, career criminal Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) recruits a sharpshooter (Timothy Carey), a crooked police officer ...
- 8 Sharky’s Machine
- 7 Black Rain
- 6 Body Double
- 5 Blood Simple
- 4 Body Heat
- 3 Scarface
- 2 Against All Odds
- 1 Blade Runner
Burt Reynolds is Sharky in Sharky’s Machine, a modern neo-noir and definitely his best film since Deliverance; he also directed this 1981 classic. Tom Sharky (Burt Reynolds) was recently demoted to the vice squad. On the job, he discovers an upscale expensive prostitution ring, and finds out that the man running for Governor of Georgia frequents th...
Black Rain is a Ridley Scott (Philip K. Dick's Blade Runner, Hannibal) film from 1989, so we can assume it will be a great viewing experience. Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia are American cops assigned to take Sato Koji (played by Yusaku Matsuda) for extradition purposes. He escapes in Japan, and the Japanese police allow them to join in their manh...
Body Double is another Brian De Palma filmthat qualifies as a neo-noir, and is a classic suspense movie from a director who idolizes 'the master of suspense,' Alfred Hitchcock. Craig Wasson is a relatively weak actor (considering that Brian De Palma usually uses strong male leads like Al Pacino, John Travolta, or Nicolas Cage), but the casting is r...
Blood Simple is a film noir from the Coen Brothers, and their first feature. Although most of their films have noir elements to some degree, this film is an outright noir and tribute to past cinema. The plot involves people planning murders, dead bodies disappearing, and other events that have a touch of humor to them, and refer back to Hitchcock’s...
Like Against All Odds, Body Heat could have come right out of the 1940s and feels more like a classic noir than a neo-noir. The film is based on the classic noir film, Double Indemnity, which is itself based on a James M. Cain book. The title refers to the lustful desires of the characters, in particular Kathleen Turner, who gives a wild and erotic...
Scarface is another Brian De Palma neo-noir, an update of the 30s gangster and mafia moviewhich was a progenitor of noir. The film is about Tony Montana (perfectly played by Al Pacino) who emigrates from Cuba and violently works his way up the drug trade chain until he runs an empire that is one of the biggest cocaine organizations in Florida. Of c...
In 1984, director Taylor Hackford directed a remake of the classic 1947 Out of the Past called Against All Odds. Terry Brogan, played by Jeff Bridges, is a football player whose career is over, yet he still fights to return to the field. He is unsuccessful and turns to Jake Wise (masterfully played by James Woods), a former associate and a scam art...
Blade Runner is a great example of how diverse film noirs could be, as it is the only science fiction film in this list. Directed by Ridley Scott and based on the short story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by the visionary author Philip K Dick. The film takes place in a cyberpunk world and involves artificial intelligence robots known as Repli...
Apr 2, 2024 · Brick (2005) A vengeful loner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt in one of his best Rian Johnson movie roles) infiltrates a teen criminal underworld in order to solve his girlfriend’s death. Why it is one of ...
Mar 3, 2016 · Stray Dog (1949) Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Written by Ryûzô Kikushima & Akira Kurosawa. Starring Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura & Keiko Awaji. The Bad Sleep Well (1960) Directed by Akira ...
2 days ago · An ex-con finds himself drawn into that one last job. For the sake of this list, we’ve highlighted the top-reviewed films from the classic film noir era, roughly defined as starting in 1940 and...
