99 shades of Noir (with notes).
by un_samourai | created - 14 Mar 2011 | updated - 3 weeks ago | PublicListed in order of preference, these are all the Noir/Neo-Noir that I recommend considering watching.
The tag 'Film Noir' is a subjective one. The style was only really identified and extensively written about after the classic cycle was already over. No one making a picture then (1940-1960) thought of it as a Noir. They probably thought of these films as "second feature crime thrillers".
Let's face it, we generally categorize to simply help find or avoid certain types of art/entertainment. My point being, Noir is an invented category, so let's not get too pedantic about which films are and are not Noirs.
For further reading, I suggest Paul Schrader's wonderful essay from 1971, Notes On Film Noir.
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1. Classe Tous Risques (1960)
Not Rated | 103 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A ruthless criminal flees from the pursuit, involving more and more casualties.
Director: Claude Sautet | Stars: Lino Ventura, Sandra Milo, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marcel Dalio
Votes: 4,273 | Gross: $0.09M
The same writer as the great Le Deuxieme Souffle. The first film Claude Sautet directed from start to finish is a knockout. His 'first' film "Bonjour Sourire!" being the taking over another director's ailing project.
This is one of the best Noirs of all time. Make it a top priority.
2. Second Wind (1966)
Not Rated | 150 min | Crime, Drama
A gangster escapes jail and quickly makes plans to continue his criminal ways elsewhere, but a determined inspector is closing in.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabréga
Votes: 6,634
Much better than it's reputation as a slightly second tier Melville film, this is one of the all time great crime films. If you love Melville, this is a must see. It's (neo)noir heaven.
3. Blade Runner (1982)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Votes: 822,759 | Gross: $32.87M
Of course this features high on the list. If you've never seen it, make it a priority (and I'd certainly recommend watching this before taking on Blade Runner 2049, which is avery good sequel).
This is one of the absolute best neo-noirs. The set-decoration, design, and special effects are notable, as is the gorgeous Vangelis score. Just what is it to be human?
These days, I like the original theatrical cut with the very noir narration by Harrison Ford better than the director's cut, even though the ending is a bit more commercial.
4. Army of Shadows (1969)
Not Rated | 145 min | Drama, War
An account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret
Votes: 25,833 | Gross: $0.74M
Probably the best Melville of all for it's pithy subject. The deminonde of the French Resistance is the subject, and it is fascinating, and grim. This is a good film to see if J.P. Melville's stylish, but spare film making is up your alley.
5. Out of the Past (1947)
Approved | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and duplicitous dames.
Director: Jacques Tourneur | Stars: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming
Votes: 40,895
Certainly a contender for best noir of all time. A must see title if there ever was one. Robert Mitchum in the lead is magnetic, but very relatable. Jane Greer is simply one of the most alluring, and mendacious femme fatale's ever. I could go on and on. It has everything that make the noir genre so enjoyable.
6. Pulp Fiction (1994)
R | 154 min | Crime, Drama
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis
Votes: 2,218,853 | Gross: $107.93M
It's a hard film to classify, but it certainly has a lot of Noir in it. It's more an experience than just a film. When watching this for the first time, you just don't now where Q.T. will take you next. I just watched this again, probably for the 8th time, and it knocked me out yet again.
It has enough content for two great films. The dialogue is marvelous, and so is the music selection. The non-chronological structure also works beautifully for this film.
This is one of two great Tarantino films (Reservoir Dogs being the other). For me, his subsequent films have not measured up to his first two pictures.
7. The Third Man (1949)
Approved | 93 min | Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller
Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.
Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard
Votes: 181,785 | Gross: $0.45M
The sewers of post war Vienna, and a zither score that you'll never forget. Welles is fabulous.
8. The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
Not Rated | 87 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Fascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.
Director: Orson Welles | Stars: Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders
Votes: 33,295 | Gross: $0.01M
For me, this film is quite a bit better than Wells' 'Touch of Evil'. See it for the house of mirrors scene alone. It is certainly one of the best of all film Noirs. This picture is packed with wonderfully sleazy characters, and deceit is everywhere.
9. Pierrot the Fool (1965)
Not Rated | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Pierrot escapes his boring society and travels from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea with Marianne, a girl chased by hit-men from Algeria. They lead an unorthodox life, always on the run.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina, Graziella Galvani, Aicha Abadir
Votes: 36,926
For art-house fans only.
Super original, and super fun, this noir colors WAY outside the lines. It is an example of how malleable the noir framework really is. There is a core entertainment to watching a couple on a doomed crime spree.
IMHO, this is the best J.L.Godard film.
10. Chinatown (1974)
R | 130 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez
Votes: 349,705
A perfect neo-noir with a very powerful gut-punch of an ending added by Polanski to Robert Towne's script.
It could only be more Noir if it was shot in B&W. An essential film. One of Jack Nicholson's best roles as well (which is saying a lot!).
11. The Informer (1962)
Not Rated | 108 min | Crime, Thriller
A burglar betraying other criminals prepares for a big heist with a trusted friend who might be as untrustworthy as he.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Serge Reggiani, Jean Desailly, René Lefèvre
Votes: 11,985 | Gross: $0.08M
Another great J.P. Melville film. A very grimy Paris, and a twisty story add up to another must see Melville film. I watched it again a day after seeing it for the first time.
12. The Samurai (1967)
GP | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Cathy Rosier
Votes: 57,099 | Gross: $0.04M
This is one of the 'coolest' films ever, and Alain Delon is the handsomest film star to grace the screen. Not for those who don't like to be left with a little mystery at the end of a film, as Melville almost always liked to do. I can see an influence of 'This Gun For Hire' in this picture, but Melville does it oh so much better.
13. The Raven (1943)
Not Rated | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A French village doctor becomes the target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of affairs and practicing abortion.
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot | Stars: Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey, Héléna Manson
Votes: 10,893 | Gross: $0.03M
Better than 'Les Diaboliques' and 'Wages of Fear' in my opinion. It's a truly great noir thriller, in fact, it's simply one of the very best films period. I've had the pleasure of watching it three times, and it killed every time.
14. Ace in the Hole (1951)
Approved | 111 min | Drama, Film-Noir
A frustrated former big-city journalist now stuck working for an Albuquerque newspaper exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to rekindle his career, but the situation quickly escalates into an out-of-control circus.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Robert Arthur, Porter Hall
Votes: 39,097 | Gross: $3.97M
Billy Wilder's follow-up to Sunset Boulevard (also excellent) is a terrific film. Kirk Douglas has been great in so many films. This is up there with his best. Cynicism , oportunism, and capitalism are the themes of this terrific, dark picture. It is my favorite Billy Wilder film, and is sadly underknown.
15. No Country for Old Men (2007)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson
Votes: 1,059,595 | Gross: $74.28M
Probably the best Coen brothers film. Excellent, excellent picture!
16. Mulholland Drive (2001)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 383,648 | Gross: $7.22M
A terrific dark, disturbing, (solvable) puzzle. Naomi Watts is fantastic.
17. Notorious (1946)
Not Rated | 102 min | Drama, Film-Noir, Romance
The daughter of a convicted German spy is asked by American agents to gather information on a ring of German scientists in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them?
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern
Votes: 107,236 | Gross: $10.46M
One of Hitch's best films. A must see.
18. Se7en (1995)
R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Votes: 1,798,075 | Gross: $100.13M
Simply one of my all time favorites. I remember several people saying they were rather disturbed after seeing this picture. Yes, it is dark stuff, but I just adore it. The opening credits are terrifically stylish.
19. Casque d'Or (1952)
Not Rated | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Three gangsters and an ex-con carpenter all fall for the same beautiful golden-haired woman in Belle Époque France.
Director: Jacques Becker | Stars: Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, Claude Dauphin, Raymond Bussières
Votes: 6,215
A belle epoque noir love story. Excellent in every way. Jacques Becker, who apprenticed as AD under Jean Renoir, was a fantastic director: Le Trou, Touchez Pas Au Grisbi and this film are all gold.
20. Act of Violence (1948)
Passed | 82 min | Drama, Film-Noir, Thriller
An embittered, vengeful POW stalks his former commanding officer who betrayed his men's planned escape attempt from a Nazi prison camp.
Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Mary Astor
Votes: 5,711
This one's got just about everything, including social relevance, yet very few people champion this film. Do yourself a huge favor and see it.
21. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 920,137 | Gross: $28.26M
There's got to be the odd person who's not gotten around to this picture. Only one of the best films ever committed to celluloid. A little caveat though: It's definitely got some very adult content.
22. The Limey (1999)
R | 89 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An extremely volatile and dangerous Englishman goes to Los Angeles to find the man he considers responsible for his daughter's death.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán
Votes: 34,813 | Gross: $3.19M
Wonderful film. Steven Soderbergh's revenge film is on the art-house side of Noir, and is clearly inspired by the style of the film 'Point Blank' replete with flash-backs, and flash-forwards. I love Terrence Stamp in this, but it's got many great performances.
23. The Red Circle (1970)
Not Rated | 140 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After leaving prison, master thief Corey crosses paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic former policeman. The trio proceed to plot an elaborate heist.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volontè, Yves Montand
Votes: 28,138 | Gross: $0.37M
Beautiful tones of color, great set decoration (as per usual with Melville) and the theme of comradery between thieves. One of the all time great heists as well. I do find that people either love or hate Mellville's films. They're certainly more quiet/minimal than most plot driven films.
As you see by my list, Melville is one of my very favorite directors.
24. The Big Combo (1955)
Not Rated | 87 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A police lieutenant is ordered to stop investigating deadly crime boss Mr. Brown because he hasn't been able to get any hard evidence against him. He goes after Brown's girlfriend, who despises him, for information instead.
Director: Joseph H. Lewis | Stars: Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Jean Wallace, Brian Donlevy
Votes: 8,618
Hard-boiled heaven.
25. The Killers (1946)
Passed | 103 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.
Director: Robert Siodmak | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, Albert Dekker
Votes: 23,622
This may be a good film to use as an example of what a Noir is to those who don't know the term. It's one of the best.
26. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
R | 99 min | Crime, Thriller
When a simple jewelry heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn
Votes: 1,087,764 | Gross: $2.83M
Almost Shakespearian in it's finale. The last flash-back in particular (Mr. White) is phenomenal! What a gem!
27. Rififi (1955)
Not Rated | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Four men plan a technically perfect crime, but the human element intervenes...
Director: Jules Dassin | Stars: Jean Servais, Carl Möhner, Robert Manuel, Janine Darcey
Votes: 36,832 | Gross: $0.06M
It's a shame that Jules Dassin was blacklisted in the insane commie-hunt craze of McCarthyism.
The expressionistic shots near the end are just incredible. The silent heist is just excellent as well. It features a wonderfully cool, tough, protagonist played by Jean Servais.
Prix Méliès, French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
Best Director, Cannes
28. Insomnia (1997)
Not Rated | 96 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
In a Norwegian city with a 24-hour daylight cycle a Swedish murder investigator has been brought in on a special case. Sleep deprived, he makes a horrible mistake which is discovered by the killer he has been hunting.
Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg | Stars: Stellan Skarsgård, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Maria Mathiesen, Gisken Armand
Votes: 15,582 | Gross: $0.22M
This is vastly superior to Christoper Nolan's remake in 2002 in every way. It has a really nice, spare, grey aesthetic to the look of the film, and what a wonderful central performance by Stellan Skarsgard. It also features an excellent electronic score. Very highly recommenced.
29. Bob the Gambler (1956)
PG | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After losing big, an aging gambler decides to assemble a team to rob a casino.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Roger Duchesne, Isabelle Corey, Daniel Cauchy, Guy Decomble
Votes: 13,353 | Gross: $0.02M
Pre new-wave gem. Very cool, early-ish J.P. Melville caper picture.
30. Key Largo (1948)
Approved | 100 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A man visits his war buddy's family hotel and finds a gangster running things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore
Votes: 43,963
So enjoyable to see time and time again. This type of role/performance is why Bogart is such a household name to this day.
31. Heat (1995)
R | 170 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A group of high-end professional thieves start to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a verbal clue at their latest heist.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight
Votes: 719,000 | Gross: $67.44M
The bank job shoot out is a bit of heaven.
32. Memento (2000)
R | 113 min | Mystery, Thriller
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior
Votes: 1,322,349 | Gross: $25.54M
The pacing of the flash-backs in this Neo-Noir is simply too perfect for words. Love the ambient score as well.
33. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
PG-13 | 104 min | Comedy, Drama
An ophthalmologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated with another woman.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Martin Landau, Woody Allen, Bill Bernstein, Claire Bloom
Votes: 60,771 | Gross: $18.25M
**Mild Spoilers**
Many compare it to Fyodor Dostoyevsky's writing, with good reason. For me, it's the best Woody Allen film. It could be seen as a very serious riff on film Noir.
One of the things that makes it Woody's best, is aside from the main story of a crime (Landau, Houston), there is a secondary, lighter, funnier story line (Alda, Allen and Farrow) that balances out the heaviness of the Landau/Houston plot beautifully.
34. Crossfire (1947)
Approved | 86 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of demobilized soldiers he met in a bar. But which one? And why?
Director: Edward Dmytryk | Stars: Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Gloria Grahame
Votes: 9,700 | Gross: $1.30M
A message film that still works beautifully. Bravo. How many great film noirs featured Robert Ryan? He had a wonderful flexibility to what type of character he could play.
As a side note, Richard Conte and Richard Widmark, though not in this film, comes to mind as a similarly flexible noir actors.
35. The Killing (1956)
Approved | 84 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Crook Johnny Clay assembles a five-man team to plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen
Votes: 97,443
This is a great early Stanley Kubrick heist film. I didn't think much of his 'Killer's Kiss' (to be fair, made on a tiny budget), but this film is terrific.
36. Nightcrawler (2014)
R | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.
Director: Dan Gilroy | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed
Votes: 604,288 | Gross: $32.38M
What a great film. Love it! You'll never see the local crime news the same. Jake Gyllenhaal's cold grin is just unforgettable.
37. The Woman in the Window (1944)
Passed | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
When a conservative middle aged professor engages in a relationship with a femme fatale, he's plunged into a nightmarish world of blackmail and murder.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Raymond Massey, Edmund Breon
Votes: 17,765
A more like-able film than "Scarlet Street" to be sure (with the same 3 principal actors). Very fun suspense film. Maybe the best of the Fritz Lang noirs. I watch it often.
38. Laura (1944)
Passed | 88 min | Drama, Film-Noir, Mystery
A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.
Directors: Otto Preminger, Rouben Mamoulian | Stars: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price
Votes: 51,394 | Gross: $4.36M
It may be more detective/murder mystery, but it is considered a Noir by most critics so I've put it on my list. It is one of my most often watched films. Such a pleasant, easy to watch film. Oh yeah, and Gene Tierney is awfully easy on the eyes...
39. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Not Rated | 106 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery
A doomed female hitchhiker pulls Mike Hammer into a deadly whirlpool of intrigue, revolving around a mysterious "great whatsit".
Director: Robert Aldrich | Stars: Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Juano Hernandez
Votes: 22,071
The crescendo of the classic noir cycle is realized in this wonderfully dark detective film. Highly recommended.
40. Hard Eight (1996)
R | 101 min | Crime, Drama
Professional gambler Sydney teaches John the tricks of the trade. John does well until he falls for cocktail waitress Clementine.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson
Votes: 54,871 | Gross: $0.22M
P T Anderson's Noir impresses from the first viewing, and holds up, no check that, it gets even better when subsequently viewed. I've heard that PTA was heavily influenced buy J.P. Melville's "Bob Le Flambeur". That makes sense to me.
I've the feeling this was very much a below the radar film. No one ever talks about this film, because next to no one has seen it. What a shame.
41. Ex Machina (2014)
R | 108 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.
Director: Alex Garland | Stars: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno
Votes: 588,728 | Gross: $25.44M
Tech-noir heaven. Alicia Vicander is perfect as the cyborg femme fatale.
I like how the film keeps you guessing about the motives of Oscar Issac's character throughout the film.
42. Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
R | 95 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Los Angeles private eye Philip Marlowe is hired by paroled convict Moose Malloy to find his girlfriend Velma, former seedy nightclub dancer.
Director: Dick Richards | Stars: Robert Mitchum, Charlotte Rampling, John Ireland, Sylvia Miles
Votes: 9,604 | Gross: $4.36M
Having just seen this film for the second time, I was so impressed by it. This pretty much has the super high quality of "Chinatown" (another 70's era noir).
It's a more faithful film version of the same Chandler story as the film "Murder My Sweet". The set decoration, score, cinematography, acting, and storytelling are all excellent.
For some reason this film is really under-rated. It is a top notch neo-noir.
43. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Passed | 100 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery
San Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre
Votes: 166,530 | Gross: $2.11M
Just a wonderful, non menacing, early Noir. The cast, with supporting players like Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet, add so much to this film, and keep me coming back for more. I probably watch it twice a year. Lots of twists and turns to the story keep things very interesting. Required viewing for the genre.
44. Drive (I) (2011)
R | 100 min | Action, Drama
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.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks
Votes: 704,152 | Gross: $35.06M
**Violence Warning**
A great genre film that's lifted to the level of best getaway driver film ever. It features a great love story, a couple of good car chases, wonderful cinematography, music, and editing, but be warned, it's a very violent film. I scarcely could have enjoyed it more.
45. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Russell M. Haeuser, Val Kilmer
Votes: 80,884 | Gross: $1.70M
Werner Herzog's skewed cop film is great. Nicolas Cage is impressive in this, possibly as good as he was in 'Adaptation'. Keep in mind the thought of Herzog poking you in the rib with his elbow about 3/4 into the film though (can't say more than that without spoiling anything) and you should really enjoy this picture.
46. Bullitt (1968)
M/PG | 114 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A nonconformist San Francisco cop is determined to find the underworld kingpin who killed the witness under his protection.
Director: Peter Yates | Stars: Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Vaughn, Don Gordon
Votes: 75,801 | Gross: $42.30M
Wonderful score by Lalo Schifrin, and of course there's McQueen. Known for the car chase, and winning the best editing Oscar in '68, but the whole film is very enjoyable. The story, to me has a slightly elusive quality to it when all is said and done which lends the film well to repeated viewings.
47. Get Carter (1971)
R | 112 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
When his brother dies under mysterious circumstances in a car accident, London gangster Jack Carter travels to Newcastle to investigate.
Director: Mike Hodges | Stars: Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, Britt Ekland, John Osborne
Votes: 36,762 | Gross: $0.39M
One of the all time great anti-heroes. It may surprise you how well Michael Caine plays a tough guy if you know him only from his work from the 80's through today. Great theme song and score by Roy Budd. I'd love to have more films just like this in my collection. It's a very cool picture.
48. Europa (1991)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Just after World War II, an American takes a railway job in Germany, but finds his position politically sensitive with various people trying to use him.
Director: Lars von Trier | Stars: Barbara Sukowa, Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier, Ernst-Hugo Järegård
Votes: 23,195 | Gross: $1.01M
Another Von Trier film with an extraordinary visual presentation. It's presented mainly in B & W with extensive use of rear-projection, and splashes of color here and there. Very original, and I love the ending.
Having just watched Jacques Tourneur's film "Berlin Express" for the second time, I see its influence on Europa.
49. Double Indemnity (1944)
Passed | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
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.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Byron Barr
Votes: 167,388 | Gross: $5.72M
It has charm, and certainly is chock-a-block with all the hallmarks of the genre. Nice construction in general, and is one of the principal blue-print's for the genre, it's just a bit overrated IMHO.
50. Inherent Vice (2014)
R | 148 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
In 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles private investigator Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston
Votes: 110,684 | Gross: $8.11M
A funny, early 70's set neo-noir that could be described as The Big Sleep + the Big Lebowski + The Long Goodbye. This is incredibly well directed. Phoenix is great in the lead, and Brolin has never been as funny.
51. Breathless (1960)
Not Rated | 90 min | Crime, Drama
A small-time crook, hunted by the authorities for a car theft and the murder a police officer, attempts to persuade a hip American journalism student to run away with him to Italy.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Van Doude, Jean-Luc Godard
Votes: 87,891 | Gross: $0.34M
The rule breaker that ushered in 'la nouvelle vague'. A lot of fun, and supercool. Great Jazz score, and two very sexy lead actors.
52. Fargo (1996)
R | 98 min | Crime, Thriller
Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
Votes: 726,339 | Gross: $24.61M
One of the best comic Neo-Noirs. See it twice. The Cohen's films are more about characters than plot. Once you've seen the film, you can savor the delicious characters.
53. Pale Flower (1964)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Crime
A gangster gets released from prison and has to cope with the recent shifts of power between the gangs, while taking care of a thrill-seeking young woman, who got in bad company while gambling.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Ryô Ikebe, Mariko Kaga, Takashi Fujiki, Naoki Sugiura
Votes: 4,386
The main character is one of the coolest noir protagonists I've seen. It's simply a very good film in general with a very cute femme fatale.
54. A History of Violence (2005)
R | 96 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt
Votes: 252,751 | Gross: $31.49M
A set-up not unlike 'Out of the Past'. The violence is portrayed in a way that really makes us re-consider our love of watching on screen violence.
55. M (1931)
Passed | 99 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke
Votes: 168,387 | Gross: $0.03M
Is it a police procedural, or a noir? It's bloody great regardless of what you call it.
56. L.A. Confidential (1997)
R | 138 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.
Director: Curtis Hanson | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger
Votes: 617,570 | Gross: $64.62M
A hugely enjoyable nod to film noir. Great lead Performances by an ensemble cast of A-listers. Quite a bit better than the somewhat similar film Mulholland Falls, but slighter than the great Chinatown.
57. Mississippi Mermaid (1969)
R | 123 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A wealthy plantation owner is captivated by a mysterious woman with a shady past.
Director: François Truffaut | Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Nelly Borgeaud, Martine Ferrière
Votes: 7,209 | Gross: $0.03M
One of film historian David Thomson's very favorite films. I like it more every time I watch it. It is not a blow you away film, but look at the two leads, and then throw in Truffaut channeling Hitchcock, and you've got a really cool film.
58. Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
Not Rated | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A pianist helps his brother escape from two gangsters, who retaliate by abducting their kid brother.
Director: François Truffaut | Stars: Charles Aznavour, Marie Dubois, Nicole Berger, Michèle Mercier
Votes: 20,624
A nouvelle vague film noir that transcends the genre a fair bit. Very good film that's more on the art house side.
59. Blast of Silence (1961)
Approved | 77 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A hired killer from Cleveland has a job to do on a second-string mob boss in New York, but a special girl from his past and a gun dealer with pet rats get in his way.
Director: Allen Baron | Stars: Allen Baron, Molly McCarthy, Larry Tucker, Peter Clune
Votes: 5,667
Well, this indie was at the absolute end of the classic noir cycle. The narration is very charming, and there are great shots and sequences. Another positive is the 'Taxi Driver'-esque isolated, delusional loner qualities of the protagonist. Many people just adore this film. My second viewing was the one that did it for me. On first viewing, I'd say it's an interesting little noir that is certainly great considering it's tiny budget.
60. The Driver (1978)
R | 91 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A getaway driver becomes the latest assignment for a tenacious detective.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, Isabelle Adjani, Ronee Blakley
Votes: 19,408 | Gross: $4.91M
Imagine if someone made a getaway driver film with a heavy influence of J.P. Melville (the stoic anti-hero). It gets better and better with repeat viewings. It's more an old favorite, than a blow you away film.
61. Dark Passage (1947)
Passed | 106 min | Film-Noir, Thriller
A man convicted of murdering his wife escapes from prison and works with a woman to try to prove his innocence.
Director: Delmer Daves | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead
Votes: 21,959
Bacall and Bogart up to their old magic. A very, very enjoyable watch.
62. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Passed | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A major heist goes off as planned, but then double crosses, bad luck and solid police work cause everything to unravel.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore
Votes: 29,931
I enjoyed this film better the second time (the first time watching this, I'd just seen the wonderful 'Rififi' a few days before, and then there's the huge reputation that comes with this film). There's a lot right about this heist film, the wrong for me is Dix's girlfriend (two dimensional, and annoying). Nice to see a young Marilyn Monroe, and a slew of noir staple actors in this film.
63. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
R | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife barreling towards a shattering climax.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei
Votes: 111,616 | Gross: $7.08M
Sidney Lumet's Neo-Noir was a real favorite of mine in 2007. I feel like it didn't get it's due. Some films just seem to get lost in the shuffle.
64. The Big Sleep (1946)
Passed | 114 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery
Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail and what might be love.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers
Votes: 90,492 | Gross: $6.54M
Very enjoyable, with a twisty plot that even the writer admitted had one or two unanswered questions within it (though nothing crucial). As one would imagine, great chemistry between Bogart and Bacall.
65. He Walked by Night (1948)
Approved | 79 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Thriller
This film-noir piece, told in semi-documentary style, follows police on the hunt for a resourceful criminal who shoots and kills a cop.
Directors: Alfred L. Werker, Anthony Mann | Stars: Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts, Whit Bissell
Votes: 6,698
This is a very good true crime film. Nicely shot (by John Alton), and executed in general. Richard Basehart is quite a good villain. The end sequence was probably an influence on 'The Third Man' (this film is a year before) It's a tense, very cool film.
66. The Element of Crime (1984)
Not Rated | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A cop in a dystopian Europe investigates a serial killings suspect using controversial methods written by his now disgraced former mentor.
Director: Lars von Trier | Stars: Michael Elphick, Esmond Knight, Me Me Lai, Jerold Wells
Votes: 11,283
This one is certainly more for art house fans. Shot in sepia toned B & W, with odd flashes of blue, it is one of the most visually interesting films one will ever encounter (some of the shots remind me of Andrei Tarkovsky's 'Stalker'). Nice dark detective story.
67. Armored Car Robbery (1950)
Passed | 67 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A well-planned robbery goes awry with tough cop Jim Cordell in pursuit of the thieves.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Charles McGraw, Adele Jergens, William Talman, Douglas Fowley
Votes: 2,992
This Noir was probably an influence on Kubrick's 'The Killing'.
It's a compact, very solid caper picture populated with great Noir archetypes. I watch it often.
68. Revanche (2008)
Not Rated | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Ex-con Alex plans to flee to the South with his girl after a robbery. But something terrible happens and revenge seems inevitable.
Director: Götz Spielmann | Stars: Johannes Krisch, Irina Potapenko, Andreas Lust, Ursula Strauss
Votes: 15,939
For art-house fans only. It is a quiet, minimal film.
This is a great, great film noir, but it also to me seems to transcend the genre by sheer emotional depth. Those of you with shorter attention spans be warned though: this film has a European quietness/minimalness to it. Lots of still camera setups that are really beautifully framed. I just watched this film again, and loved it even more on second viewing.
69. The French Connection (1971)
R | 104 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey, Tony Lo Bianco
Votes: 135,607 | Gross: $15.63M
Gene Hackman is indelible in this roll. Great soundtrack. Wonderful texture to the film in general. I'd say it's essential film viewing.
70. Cry of the City (1948)
Passed | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Police Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.
Director: Robert Siodmak | Stars: Victor Mature, Richard Conte, Fred Clark, Shelley Winters
Votes: 3,732
It's not as strong and flawless as "The Killers", but it is certainly a well above average noir by Robert Siodmak. It's well worth seeking out for fans of the dark cinema. Richard Conte is at his criminal best, right up there with his role in "The Big Combo", and he carries the film more than the other players.
This film is newly out on burn on demand DVD by 20th century fox archive collection and is a very decent quality print/transfer.
71. Kansas City Confidential (1952)
Not Rated | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
An ex-con trying to go straight is framed for a million dollar armored car robbery and must go to Mexico in order to unmask the real culprits.
Director: Phil Karlson | Stars: John Payne, Coleen Gray, Preston Foster, Neville Brand
Votes: 8,137
This film starts out rather so-so for the first third, but from then on is a really good, intriguing picture. The lead, John Payne is really terrific (and is almost a dead ringer for Ray Miland). Also features Coleen Gray from Kubrick's 'The Killing'.
72. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
PG-13 | 126 min | Drama, Thriller
An American POW in the Korean War is brainwashed as an unwitting assassin for an international Communist conspiracy.
Director: John Frankenheimer | Stars: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury
Votes: 79,773
Excellent Noir political thriller.
73. The Prowler (1951)
Approved | 92 min | Drama, Film-Noir, Thriller
After Susan Gilvray reports a prowler outside her house police officer Webb Garwood investigates and sparks fly. If only her husband wasn't in the way.
Director: Joseph Losey | Stars: Van Heflin, Evelyn Keyes, John Maxwell, Katherine Warren
Votes: 4,084
This is a very interesting noir. Quite a performance by Van Heflin, in a pretty risque scenario. Robert Aldrich was the AD.
74. Touchez pas au grisbi (1954)
Not Rated | 96 min | Crime, Drama
An aging, world-weary gangster is double-crossed and forced out of retirement when his best friend is kidnapped and their stash of eight stolen gold bars demanded as ransom.
Director: Jacques Becker | Stars: Jean Gabin, René Dary, Dora Doll, Vittorio Sanipoli
Votes: 8,538 | Gross: $0.13M
Jean Gabin is very cool in this French film by the great director Jaques Becker. The price of friendship can be very high indeed.
75. I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
Passed | 82 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Why is Inspector Ed Cornell trying to railroad Frankie Christopher for the murder of model Vicky Lynn?
Director: H. Bruce Humberstone | Stars: Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carole Landis, Laird Cregar
Votes: 5,374
Excellent noir. My favorite role for Victor Mature.
76. The Phenix City Story (1955)
Passed | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.
Director: Phil Karlson | Stars: John McIntire, Richard Kiley, Kathryn Grant, Edward Andrews
Votes: 3,257
True crime story that packs a punch. Very effective, educational, and engaging film. It reminds one what true bravery really entails.
77. Touch of Evil (1958)
PG-13 | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping and police corruption in a Mexican border town.
Director: Orson Welles | Stars: Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Janet Leigh, Joseph Calleia
Votes: 109,781 | Gross: $2.24M
Wells is great, and there are wonderful creepy, dark moods in general throughout this film. One does have to get over Charlton Heston playing a mexican cop. Must have been before hispanics could be cast in lead roles. One of the last noir's of the classic cycle (1940-1958)
78. Miller's Crossing (1990)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Tom Reagan, an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro, Marcia Gay Harden
Votes: 142,102 | Gross: $5.08M
The Coen's bring their slightly skewed/caricatured universe to the classic noir era with plenty of great performances.
79. Death of a Cyclist (1955)
Not Rated | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A couple having an affair strike a bicyclist with their car and do not offer aid out of fear of their relationship being exposed.
Director: Juan Antonio Bardem | Stars: Lucia Bosè, Alberto Closas, Bruna Corrà, Carlos Casaravilla
Votes: 4,496
A very good spanish noir with political undertones.
80. The Last Seduction (1994)
R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A devious sexpot steals her husband's drug money and hides out in a small town where she meets the perfect dupe for her next scheme.
Director: John Dahl | Stars: Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, Bill Pullman, Michael Raysses
Votes: 25,780 | Gross: $6.14M
One of the best Femme fatale's ever in a very enjoyable film noir. The DVD I have is in 4:3 which is probably the wrong aspect ratio. Oh well, still a great film.
81. Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Approved | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
After being hired to find an ex-con's former girlfriend, Philip Marlowe is drawn into a deeply complex web of mystery and deceit.
Director: Edward Dmytryk | Stars: Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley, Otto Kruger
Votes: 14,701
Very good film in the vein of "The Big Sleep". Lots of twists and turns.
I prefer the film "Farewell My Lovely" to this one. They are both based on the same book.
82. The Narrow Margin (1952)
Approved | 71 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A woman planning to testify against the mob must be protected against potential assassins on the train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Directors: Richard Fleischer, William Cameron Menzies | Stars: Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor, Jacqueline White, Gordon Gebert
Votes: 8,652
Very good 'suspense on a train' film with some classic noir actors. Very worth tracking down.
83. Dead Reckoning (1946)
Passed | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A soldier runs away rather than receive the Medal of Honor, so his buddy gets permission to investigate, and love and death soon follow.
Director: John Cromwell | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Lizabeth Scott, Morris Carnovsky, Charles Cane
Votes: 8,715
Starts slightly weak, but gets very interesting about 20 minutes in. The two principals are quite good, and there's a lot of twists regarding Scott being either a good girl or a femme fatale. It's not quite as good as 'The Maltese Falcon', 'the Big Sleep', or 'Key Largo', but it's a very worth-while find. I can also say that I always enjoy watching Bogart.
84. Impact (1949)
Passed | 111 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A unfaithful wife plots with her lover to kill her husband, but the lover is accidentally killed instead. The husband stays in hiding and lets his wife be charged with conspiracy.
Director: Arthur Lubin | Stars: Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn, Helen Walker
Votes: 4,715
It's a very good Noir in general, with great lead stars. The plot is certainly not always terribly realistic though. Still, it's a very enjoyable film that goes down real nice every time I watch it.
85. The Wrong Man (1956)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama, Film-Noir
In 1953, an innocent man named Christopher Emanuel "Manny" Balestrero is arrested after being mistaken for an armed robber.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone
Votes: 31,355
A very real feeling, moral story. It doesn't have a lot of the Hitchcock flourishes of style, but that suites the content.
86. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
Not Rated | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon wants to be something his old man wasn't: a guy on the right side of the law. Will Dixon's vicious nature get the better of him?
Director: Otto Preminger | Stars: Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill, Bert Freed
Votes: 9,952
Otto Preminger again re-teaming Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews. Second in charm to 'Laura', but a grittier story line with a nice bit of moral struggle for the main character. A very nice watch with plenty of great supporting players like Karl Malden, Neville Brand, and Gary Merrill.
87. Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
Not Rated | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A teenager who witnesses the murder of his father vows to exact revenge on the four mobsters involved in the killing.
Director: Samuel Fuller | Stars: Cliff Robertson, Dolores Dorn, Beatrice Kay, Paul Dubov
Votes: 3,918
The best Fuller film, and quite under-sung. Highly recommended even if, like me, you don't really like Fuller's films.
88. The Lineup (1958)
Approved | 86 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
In San Francisco, a psychopathic gangster and his mentor retrieve heroin packages carried by unsuspecting travelers.
Director: Don Siegel | Stars: Eli Wallach, Robert Keith, Richard Jaeckel, Mary LaRoche
Votes: 4,412
This film featured two very interesting characters as the killers. Overall, is a very good noir with lots of tension towards the end. Good direction by Don Siegel. A very solid recommend.
89. Crime Wave (1953)
Approved | 73 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Reformed parolee Steve Lacey is caught in the middle when a wounded former cellmate seeks him out for shelter.
Director: André De Toth | Stars: Gene Nelson, Sterling Hayden, Phyllis Kirk, Ted de Corsia
Votes: 4,541
The hazards of being an ex-con are exploited beautifully in this picture. Early performance by Charles Bronson as well. This is very much the type of picture I hope I find more of in my film Noir research.
PS, I just read that french director JP Melville loved this film. Enough said!
90. Confidentially Yours (1983)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
After he's implicated in several murders, a real estate agent hides out from the cops while his intrepid secretary does some private investigating of her own to locate the killer.
Director: François Truffaut | Stars: Fanny Ardant, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Philippe Laudenbach
Votes: 7,494
A light, easy to watch murder mystery/noir that has Truffaut tipping his hat to Hitchcock. I like it more than I should. It just has that X factor for me.
91. Experiment in Terror (1962)
Not Rated | 123 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A man with an asthmatic voice telephones and assaults clerk Kelly Sherwood at home and coerces her into helping him steal a large sum from her bank.
Director: Blake Edwards | Stars: Glenn Ford, Lee Remick, Stefanie Powers, Roy Poole
Votes: 6,632
Very good noir thriller directed and produced by Blake Edwards after he did the wildly popular "Breakfast at Tiffany's". This is what a noir looked like in 1962.
92. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
Passed | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A married woman and a drifter fall in love and then plot to murder her husband.
Director: Tay Garnett | Stars: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn
Votes: 22,869 | Gross: $8.33M
The two stars are very engaging. Very good film.
93. The American Friend (1977)
Not Rated | 128 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Tom Ripley, who deals in forged art, suggests a picture framer he knows would make a good hit man.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain
Votes: 18,544
Very good Wim Wenders film with plenty of noir to the whole setup and execution. To me this picture feels more like it's from the early 80's rather than 1977. It's very artfully shot. Some very nice frames here and there.
94. Point Blank (1967)
Not Rated | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After being double-crossed and left for dead, a mysterious man named Walker single-mindedly tries to retrieve the money that was stolen from him.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, Carroll O'Connor
Votes: 23,210
I like 'The Limey' better, but this is the film that so much was lifted from. I've read that Boorman was influenced by Alain Resnais' non chronological films like 'Je T'aime Je T'aime' & 'Last Year at Marienbad'.
95. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
R | 164 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
Young Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Dave Bautista
Votes: 664,595 | Gross: $92.05M
A worthy followup to the original. Villneuve does not disappoint. The score is excellent, and the visuals are wonderful. The story is a nice extension of the first film. It is almost 2:45 though so be prepared for a long film.
96. Sin City (2005)
R | 124 min | Crime, Thriller
An exploration of the dark and miserable Basin City and three of its residents, all of whom are caught up in violent corruption.
Directors: Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba
Votes: 793,623 | Gross: $74.10M
An exaggerated pulp film noir which does good justice to the hard-boiled comics of Frank Miller.
97. Only God Forgives (2013)
R | 90 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Julian, a drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok's criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother's recent death.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm, Gordon Brown
Votes: 118,079 | Gross: $0.78M
Not as flawless as Drive, but still a fever-dream of a Noir with a lot going for it, including some David Lynch like moments.
98. Gun Crazy (1950)
Passed | 87 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Two disturbed young people release their fascination with guns through a crime spree.
Director: Joseph H. Lewis | Stars: John Dall, Peggy Cummins, Berry Kroeger, Morris Carnovsky
Votes: 14,827
A great Femme Fatale that looks like Lee Remmick with a little Veronica lake thrown in for good measure. A definite influence on the excellent Bonnie and Clyde '67. Great film!
99. Prisoners (2013)
R | 153 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo
Votes: 808,962 | Gross: $61.00M
A dour & dark, violent, twisty thriller, somewhat like Se7en.
100. The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Passed | 96 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery
An ex-bomber pilot is suspected of murdering his unfaithful wife.
Director: George Marshall | Stars: Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, William Bendix, Howard Da Silva
Votes: 9,656 | Gross: $2.70M
The best of the 3 film noirs with Lake and Ladd in the lead.
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