For several decades, the film noir genre has withstood the hands of time and was initially popularized by classics such asThe Maltese Falcon,Out of the Past, andDouble Indemnity. By the 1960s, the genre had been revitalized for a modern audience, ushering in the age of neo-noir with an array of hits includingChinatown,Basic Instinct, andL.A. Confidential.
Through the years, there has been a variety of a selection of classic film noir and neo-noirs that capture a certain dream-like atmosphere that is simply intoxicating for film fans, placing them into a category of essentially irresistible cinema. The themes and elements of a great noir can vary, but some, likeGildaandBody Heat, are just a few that effortlessly lure audiences into a blended daze of intense romance, betrayal, and crime, placing them under a perfumed twilight courtesy of the silver screen.
10’Human Desire' (1954)
Directed by Fritz Lang
After the success ofThe Big Heat,Glenn FordandGloria Grahamereunited with director,Fritz Lang, for the classic noir,Human Desire. Ford stars as a Korean War veteran, Jeff Warren, who returns home and assumes his job as an engineer at a local railroad. He soon becomes involved in a secret affair with a co-worker’s wife, Vicki Buckley (Grahame), but both their lives are soon turned upside down when Buckley’s husband is accused of murdering his boss.
Human Desireis a highly underrated film noir that was initially met with mixed reviews from critics, but the gripping melodrama has since been reevaluated and, today, is considered to be one of Lang’s best films.Grahame and Ford have invigorating chemistry and sexual intensitythat draws audiences into their characters' seductive affair which inevitably takes them down a dark path of destruction and unforgivable betrayal.
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9’Basic Instinct' (1992)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Sharon Stonestars inone of the best erotic neo-noir thrillers,Basic Instinct, as a crime novelist, Catherine Tramell, who becomes the main suspect in the murder of a former rock star. The case is investigated by Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), an experienced homicide detective who is soon captivated by the seductive Tramell, leading the detective into a complicated situation that could compromise the entire case.
Basic Instinctisa staple in the neo-noir genre and features Stone in her breakthrough performanceas the icy Tramell, who is as beautiful as she is deadly. The film oozes with sexual tension and forbidden desires, captivating audiences with a thrilling twist of a murder mystery paired with a salacious sultry affair. Basic Instinct is a vital contribution to the erotic thriller genre and, with sexually charged performances and an unwavering sense of raw suspense, it’s easily one of the most thrilling neo-noirs to date.
Basic Instinct
8’L.A. Confidential' (1997)
Directed by Curtis Hanson
L.A. Confidentialimmerses audiences into Hollywood during the 1950s, and follows several storylines all centered around a brutal murder of a young woman which remains unsolved. Everyone from the police and to the media and studio executives become entangled in the complex case which reveals a dark underworld of corruption and greed all concealed under a big top of glitz and glam.
Based onJames Ellroy’s best-selling 1990 novel,L.A. Confidentialis both a visual and physical experience that accurately captures the dazzling atmosphere of Los Angeles tailored to an intricate web of crime and cover-ups orchestrated by the studio system, which is the heart and soul of Tinseltown. With an all-star cast includingRussell Crowe,Kim Basinger, andGuy Pierce,L.A. Confidentialis the epitome of an intoxicating noir.
L.A. Confidential
7’Sunset Boulevard' (1950)
Directed by Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder’sSunset Boulevardfeaturesone of the best film noir screenplaysand a tour-de-force performance byGloria Swanson.William Holdenco-stars as an aspiring writer, Joe Gillis, who agrees to help write a script for former silent film star, Norma Desmond (Swanson), promising it to be her comeback. As Desmond showers Gillis with gifts and the finer things, she soon becomes obsessed with him, making the young writer realize he’s in way over his head.
Sunset Boulevardis a definitive classic noir that gives a raw and honest depiction of Hollywood and the tragic demise of film stars like Desmond who know nothing else but fame and notoriety.Swanson and Holden have an unusual but electric chemistry that delivers an all-consuming fantasy-like scenario that sends audiences into an iridescent state of mind. Between the stellar performances and effective ambiance,Sunset Boulevardis without a doubt an essential and infectious noir.
Sunset Boulevard
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6’Gilda' (1946)
Directed by Charles Vidor
Glenn Ford stars as an American gambler, Johnny Farrell, who travels to Argentina where his tricks land him a job as a manager of a popular casino run by a crazed man, Ballin Mundson (George Macready). The two form a mutual partnership, bonded by their lack of morals and financial schemes, but the new-found relationship hits a rough patch when Munson introduces Farrell to his wife, Gilda (Rita Hayworth), who is Farrell’s former lover.
Gildaisan iconic classic noir that follows a definitive love-hate relationship that is riddled with dirty tricks and deception that is heightened by a criminal scandal. Johnny and Gilda are constantly at each other’s throats, trying to get even with one another, but the more effort they make, the more obvious their sexual tension becomes until it is unbearable. While their torrid romance is the core of the film, the relentless suspense from a game of cat and mouse involving Mundson also adds to the plot’s overall intensity.
Gilda revolves around Johnny Farrell, a small-time gambler who is saved from a mugging by the enigmatic Ballin Mundson. Farrell becomes Mundson’s right-hand man, only to discover that Mundson’s new wife, Gilda, is his former lover. The film explores the love, betrayal, and revenge in Farrell and Gilda’s tumultuous relationship unfolds against the backdrop of Mundson’s shady casino operations in Buenos Aires.
5’Chinatown' (1974)
Directed by Roman Polanski
Jack Nicholsontakes on the role of a Los Angeles private eye, J.J. “Jake” Gittes, who is hired by a mysterious woman, Evelyn Mulwary, to track her husband’s daily movements. What starts out as an average case of infidelity soon takes an unexpected turn when Gittes realizes he wasn’t hired by the real Mulwray, and is ultimately sent down a rabbit hole of city-wide corruption and sinister family secrets, which all lead back to Mulwray’s powerful father, Noah Cross (John Huston).
Chinatownis another neo-noir that effectively depicts the authentic atmosphere of Los Angeles during the 1930s, nailing every aspect down to the finest detail. With an Oscar-winning screenplay byRobert Towneand a spectacular string of performances,Chinatowneffortlessly pulls audiences into an unscrupulous world, populated by a cast of colorful, elusive characters all surrounding a verboten love affair that is ignited as quickly as it is extinguished.
Originally released in 1974, Chinatown is an American neo-noir mystery movie starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Its story was inspired by the California water wars, a series of conflicts between the city of Los Angeles and the people of Owen’s Valley around the beginning of the twentieth century. The movie received 11 Academy Award nominations in total, with Robert Towne winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
4’Out of the Past' (1947)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Image via RKO Pictures
Out of the Pasthas been credited as one of the first official classic film noirs and follows an intricate story of a former private eye, Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum), who changed his name and now lives in a small town where he owns and runs a gas station. When he’s recognized by a former associate, he’s brought to meet with the man’s boss, Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas), who has a score to settle with Bailey regarding the last job he hired him for and his former lover, Kathie (Jane Greer).
Out of the Pastchecks all the boxes of an overly intoxicating noirand features an array of essential noir elements such as a troubled love triangle, a central crime, and, of course, murder. The film also has the signature imagery of a classic noir, dark and light cascading over scenes, a gritty tone that keeps audiences on edge. Mitchum is one star who has been considered to be the soul of the film noir genre and, between his soothing, baritone voice, and solemn stare, he alone is captivating, easily drawing audiences to him like a moth to a flame.
Out Of The Past
Jeff Bailey, a seemingly ordinary gas station owner, is drawn back into a web of intrigue and danger when his former employer, Whit Sterling, sends an associate to find him. Revealing his true identity as ex-private detective Jeff Markham, he recalls his assignment to locate Whit’s elusive mistress, Kathie Moffat, who vanished with a fortune. Jeff tracks her to Mexico, where they fall in love and plot to escape Whit’s grasp.
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3’Body Heat' (1981)
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan
Body Heatis a sex-infused neo-noir thriller starringWilliam HurtandKathleen Turneras a pair of lovers sent on a path of no return, coming to an unexpected detour that derails their heated romance. Set in Florida during an abnormal heat wave, a young attorney, Ned Racine (Hurt), meets the seductive Matty Walker (Turner). Despite Walker being married, the two soon develop an intense secret affair that eventually leads them to plot the murder of Walker’s husband.
There is an undeniable lust and attraction between Hurt and Turner’s characters, which almost immediately draws audiences into their smoldering, uninhibited romance. While the seductive affair is the main focus of the film,Body Heat’s setting of a heat wave manages to get under the skin. Similar to Walker and Racine, viewers start to feel the rising temperature coming off the screen, unable to escape the suffocating heat that drives our main characters' immoral desires and ambition.
A seductive crime drama centered on Ned Racine, a lawyer whose life takes a dangerous turn when he meets Matty Walker, the alluring wife of a rich businessman. Drawn by desire, Ned and Matty plot to kill her husband and claim his wealth. As the plan unfolds, Ned finds himself caught in a maze of lies, manipulation, and unforeseen complications.
2’Drive' (2011)
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Driveis one of the best neo-noir released in the last several years, starringRyan Goslingas a man known only as the Driver. By day, Driver works as a movie stuntman and at night, he moonlights as a getaway car for various criminals. Driver soon becomes fond of his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio, but their friendship is complicated when Irene’s husband, Standard (Oscar Issac), is released from prison. After Standard and Driver take part in a hefty heist, the job turns out to be a setup, which puts everyone involved, including Irene and Benicio, in serious danger.
Driveembodies the visual style and cynical attitudes of a classic film noir, smoothly transporting audiences right in the driver’s seat of this art-house action flick. Even though the film has sparse dialogue,Drivebrilliantly conveys what is unspoken through the cast’s physicality of their performances and an edgy soundtrack.Driveboldly takes the classic elements of the film noir genre and puts an artistic twist of filmmaking to the test, resulting in an exhilarating, top-notch neo-noir film.
A mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor’s husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.
1’Double Indemnity' (1944)
Double Indemnityis another classic film noir that many consider to be one of the first official films of the genre and laid the foundation of the style and tone of future noirs.Fred MacMurraystars as an insurance salesman, Walter Neff, who visits the home of a Mr. Dietrichson and instead meets with his blonde bombshell wife, Phyllis Deitrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). Soon, the two become romantically involved, and when they can’t stand to be apart anymore, they decide to get rid of Dietrichson’s husband and cash in on his estate.
Billy Wilder’sDouble Indemnityis the definition of an intoxicating classic film noir and is full of unspoken sex appeal and broken hearts all painted across a vivid backdrop of Los Angeles. The film is credited asone of the best film noirs with great acting, which is portrayed by an all-star cast, notablyEdward G. Robinson, who ultimately runs away with the picture.Double Indemnityessentially set the bar for the classic film noir and, with memorable performances and an entangling plot, it is hands down one of the most stirring classic noir films of all time.
Double Indemnity
A Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.
