Starting in the 1970s, every decade has constantly brought outstanding neo-noir movies, each stylish and memorable in their own unique ways, with this year's Nightmare Alley from Guillermo del Toro being a recent example. Born out of the film noir movement of the 1940s and '50s, neo-noir movies genre bend between traditional film noir elements and thematically adjacent motifs in science fiction, psychological thriller, horror, and crime.
Now, thousands of amateur sleuths over at Ranker are putting a magnifying glass up to decide which are the greatest neo-noir films out there.
Sin City (2005)
Known for its unique contrasty cinematic style, mostly in black and white with highly specific splashes of color, Sin City is based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel series of the same name. tly directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, of Spy Kids fame, Sin City boasts an all-star ensemble cast including Jessica Alba, Benicio del Toro, Bruce Willis, and Elijah Wood.
Upon its release, Sin City was met with both critical and commercial success, with legendary film critic, Roger Ebert, describing the film as "a visualization of the pulp noir imagination, uncompromising and extreme. Yes, and brilliant."
Dark City (1998)
An Australian-American co-production, Dark City leans into the realm of science fiction through its Twilight Zone-inspired plot of a mysterious group of pale men in trenchcoats, known as the “Strangers,” who abduct humans in order to run experiments on them.
Having been favorably compared to other dystopian films like The Matrix and Brazil, Dark City has since become a cult classic, with fans also noting the film’s German Expressionist influences, especially regarding its set design and overall art direction.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
From the surrealist mastermind, David Lynch, Mulholland Drive opts for the classic non-linear “Lynch-ian” plot following an aspiring actress who recently moved to Los Angeles and discovers the darker side of Hollywood through various dream-like vignettes and a bizarre slew of characters.
Exploring the motifs of revenge, love, and jealousy, Mulholland Drive gets better with each watch. Upon its release, it was initially met with mixed reviews but has since grown to become a classic of the neo-noir genre. Roger Ebert summed up the film as “a surrealist dreamscape in the form of a Hollywood film noir, and the less sense it makes, the more we can't stop watching it."
Drive (2011)
Stylish yet brutal, Drive follows the story of a Hollywood stunt-driver-turned-wheelman who is hunted down by the mobsters who hired him. A child of the Synthwave cultural movement of the late 2000s, the film crafts a cinematic ambiance that feels nostalgic yet modern.
Ryan Gosling stars as The Driver, an iconic character that harkens back to classic '70s anti-heroes played by Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood. Drive was met with near-universal acclaim becoming a cult classic among cinephiles in the years after its release. Rotten Tomatoes summarized the film as a “hyper-stylized blend of violence, music, and striking imagery.”
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Boasting an all-star ensemble cast, including Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, and Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects is told from the perspective of Roger "Verbal" Kint, a con man and one of only two survivors of a deal gone wrong and subsequent massacre on a ship in the port of L.A.
Roger Kint appears to be an unreliable narrator as he leads investigators through a convoluted tale of deceit, backstabbing, and crime that led up to the massacre. Rotten Tomatoes sums up the film as a “seemingly simple plot that then piles on layers of deceit, twists, and violence before pulling out the rug from underneath."
Memento (2000)
Legendary director Christopher Nolan’s first major successful film, Memento follows a man who suffers from amnesia as he struggles to unravel the mystery of his wife’s murder. In the film, Nolan employs a non-linear narrative structure showing two timelines, one in color and one in monochrome, that eventually come together into a single story.
Memento was lauded by critics upon its release, winning many accolades in the process, from both big-name awards shows and small indie film festivals. Many neuro-scientists also praised the film as "the most accurate portrayal of the different memory systems in popular media."
Blood Simple (1984)
The Coen Brothers’ first feature film, Blood Simple acts as a homage to 1940s film noir, low-budget horror flicks, and hard-boiled detective novels. The film follows a small-town Texas bar owner who conspires to murder his wife and the man she is cheating on him with, who happens to be one of the bar owner’s employees.
Upon its release, Blood Simple offered audiences a glimmer of the Coen Brothers’ signature dark humor, which they would go on to perfect over their next several films. Blood Simple was also the acting debut of s McDormand, now considered one of the greatest character actors of all time and a frequent collaborator of the Coen Brothers.
Fargo (1996)
Another classic film from the Coen Brothers, Fargo is the first film in which they truly hit their stride, from the dark humor and witty dialogue to s McDormand’s excellent performance as the pregnant police officer, Marge Gunderson, for which she won her first Academy Award.
While wrapped in a quirky and comedic exterior, Fargo’s interior does explore dark themes of greed, senseless violence, and the worst of human nature. Fargo was a hit with both critics and audiences alike upon its release, garnering seven Academy Awards and winning “Best Director” at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.
Blade Runner (1982)
The father of the modern cyberpunk film genre, Blade Runner is based on the dystopian sci-fi novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by the prolific yet controversial writer and futurist, Philip K. Dick. The film follows an ex-cop, played by Harrison Ford, who takes one last job to hunt down a group of escaped androids in a futuristic dystopian Los Angeles.
While it initially polarized both critics and audiences, Blade Runner has since been reappraised as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, with its haunting electronic-synth score by Vangelis, dark and futuristic set design, and ahead-of-its-time special effects.
Chinatown (1974)
From the (in)famous '70s producer/director duo, Robert Evans and Roman Polanski, Chinatown starts with an archetypical film-noir setup. A 1930s P.I. gets hired by a femme fatale to investigate her cheating husband. However, the story soon takes a nosedive as the viewer descends a dark rabbit hole of lies, greed, and murder.
Part familial drama, part psychological thriller, Chinatown defies the traditional film noir stereotypes, in the process creating a new genre - neo-noir. Currently holding a near-perfect 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, Chinatown is a masterclass in the filmmaker’s craft, from the evocative performances of leads Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway to Robert Towne’s genre-bending screenplay and Roman Polanski's direction.
