Paste's The 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time
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Since its coining in 1946 by French critic Nino Frank, the term “film noir” has been debated endlessly: Is it a genre? A subgenre? A movement? A trend? A commentary? A style? For the purposes of this introduction, let’s call it a response.
We think of noirs as urban stories, but that’s not always the case—for every L.A. and N.Y.C.-set saga, there’s a small, heartland tragedy. We think of a never-ending, rain-soaked night—sunlight replaced with neon and nocturnal reflections, the optical trickery of mirrors and shadows—but in contrast, the days of noir scorched its characters. We admire its heavily stylized approach—exaggerated camera angles, tension-crafting mise-en-scène, flashbacks, deep focus and trademark shadows—but also its neo-realist and documentary-like experiments.
However (un)conscious a reaction, noir resonates to this day, with several neo-noir cycles beginning with the Cold War era through Gen X and the millennials. And while a healthy share of neo-noirs make our list, the classic period remains the most telling—context is critical. Then there are the sub-classifications within the subgenre: proto-noirs, foreign noirs (like the British “Spiv” cycle), neon noirs, and, of course, neo-noirs.
We’ll start with the following 100 titles. Some 70 years after the term “film noir” was first uttered, take a trip through the screwed-up terrain of the mid-century psyche, with all its sex, lies, and crime scene tape. Let’s get going—don’t say we didn’t warn you.
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6 new
The Third Man
1949, in 37 top lists Check -
29 new
Blade Runner
1982, in 36 top lists Check -
81 new
Oldeuboi
2003 — a.k.a. Oldboy, in 34 top lists Check -
4 new
Chinatown
1974, in 31 top lists Check -
5 new
Touch of Evil
1958, in 31 top lists Check -
84 new
Se7en
1995, in 29 top lists Check -
63 new
Fargo
1996, in 27 top lists Check -
75 new
Memento
2000, in 27 top lists Check -
52 new
Mulholland Dr.
2001 — a.k.a. Mulholland Drive, in 26 top lists Check -
89 new
The Usual Suspects
1995, in 24 top lists Check -
24 new
The Big Heat
1953, in 18 top lists Check -
7 new
Out of the Past
1947, in 16 top lists Check -
51 new
The Long Goodbye
1973, in 15 top lists Check -
40 new
Pickup on South Street
1953, in 14 top lists Check -
54 new
Miller's Crossing
1990, in 11 top lists Check -
14 new
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
1958 — a.k.a. Elevator to the Gallows, in 10 top lists Check -
37 new
Blood Simple
1984, in 10 top lists Check -
53 new
Le doulos
1962 — a.k.a. The Informer, in 10 top lists Check -
55 new
The Last Seduction
1994, in 10 top lists Check -
59 new
Tirez sur le pianiste
1960 — a.k.a. Shoot the Piano Player, in 10 top lists Check -
94 new
The Grifters
1990, in 8 top lists Check -
82 new
King of New York
1990, in 8 top lists Check -
44 new
Body Heat
1981, in 7 top lists Check -
42 new
The Hitch-Hiker
1953, in 7 top lists Check -
21 new
Yoidore tenshi
1948 — a.k.a. Drunken Angel, in 7 top lists Check -
80 new
Bound
1996, in 6 top lists Check -
34 new
Night Moves
1975, in 6 top lists Check -
74 new
D.O.A.
1949, in 5 top lists Check -
18 new
Thieves' Highway
1949, in 5 top lists Check -
100 new
Angel Heart
1987, in 4 top lists Check -
77 new
The Prowler
1951, in 4 top lists Check -
48 new
Journey Into Fear
1943, in 2 top lists Check -
61 new
Red Rock West
1993, in 2 top lists Check -
98 new
A Simple Plan
1998, in 2 top lists Check -
47 new
Sorry, Wrong Number
1948, in 2 top lists Check -
88 new
Black Widow
1987, in 1 top list Check -
92 new
State of Grace
1990, in 1 top list Check
Last updated on Apr 28, 2021; source