Just like clothing trends, film genres fall in and out of fashion from time to time. In the 1940s and 1950s, film noir was one of the most popular genres and audiences would flock to the theaters to see these films. Stars such as Joan Crawford, Fred MacMurray, Rita Hayworth, Burt Lancaster, and many more starred in these movies that have since become staples in cinema history.
The exact definition of film noir has been debated among film fans. However, the general definition is a film that centers around dark thematic elements such as murder or other heinous crimes. Typically, a main character is framed for murder or has to help someone solve a crime and the film is often narrated by that character. The movie is also typically dark and shadowy in the cinematography. Pessimism, fatalism, and menace are usually the main themes in these films.
Decades after film noir fell out of fashion in the film industry, a modern version of the genre emerged called neo-noir. It started in the '70s, but really took off in the '80s. Neo-noir is essentially the same but with modernized depictions of the themes often seen in film noir. The 1980s gave us some of the most incredible neo-noir films of all time, including Brian De Palma's Blow Out and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.
Nevertheless, many underappreciated gems were released that don't receive the same mainstream love. Here are 10 underrated neo-noir films of the '80s for you to add to your watchlist.
10 Dressed to Kill (1980)
Just a year before she reunited with director Brian De Palma for one of the best crime thrillers of the decade, Nancy Allen starred in De Palma's other crime thriller, Dressed to Kill.
The movie centers around an unhappy middle-aged housewife named Kate (Angie Dickinson) who one day has an affair with a man she met at an art gallery. When leaving his apartment, she turns back to get her wedding ring but is brutally killed in the elevator by a mysterious blonde woman wearing dark sunglasses. Only one person witnessed the crime, a high-class call girl named Liz (Nancy Allen) who is now the prime murder suspect and the next target of the assailant.
Inspired by Noirs of Days Past
Dressed to Kill may be overshadowed by the greatness of Blow Out, but it is deserving of praise as well. The film has all the necessary ingredients to make a worthy neo-noir; a crime, a suspect on the run, ulterior motives, and, of course, murder.
It wears its Hitchcockian influences on its sleeve and effectively revolutionizes the seeds that Alfred Hitchcock himself planted by setting free the sexuality seen in his films that were repressed during Hitchcock's day.
Stream Dressed to Kill on MGM+ or Kanopy
9 Blue Velvet (1986)
Blue Velvet
- Release Date
- January 1, 1986
- Director
- David Lynch
- Cast
- Isabella Rossellini , Kyle MacLachlan , Dennis Hopper , Laura Dern , Hope Lange , dean stockwell
- Runtime
- 120
- Main Genre
- Crime
David Lynch's films always have surrealist, fantasy elements that are often too bizarre for mainstream audiences. His 1986 film Blue Velvet may be one of his more accessible films in that respect, but that doesn't mean that there aren't moments that will have you scratching your head.
The film follows college student Jeffery Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) as he returns to his idyllic hometown of Lumberton to run his father's hardware store while he is hospitalized. When walking in a field, Jeffery discovers a severed human ear, which leads him to investigate a nightclub singer and the psychopaths who have kidnapped her child.
A Surrealist Neo-Noir
Blue Velvet may not be considered underrated as far as Lynch films go, but it is certainly underrated as a neo-noir. It's dark, both thematically and visually, and wholly unnerving from start to finish. Even in the moments when we see Lumberton as this picturesque town, the feeling that something isn't right is always present.
The film builds tension and suspense expertly, and Dennis Hopper's utterly unhinged performance keeps you hooked. It does everything that a noir film is supposed to do.
8 Witness (1985)
Peter Weir's Witness is a rare neo-noir that puts a heartfelt romance at the forefront of its story. It revolves around an 8-year-old Amish boy named Samuel (Lukas Haas), who witnesses the murder of an undercover cop in a train station bathroom while traveling with his mother to Philadelphia.
Police detective John Book (Harrison Ford) is assigned to the case but must hide out among the Amish people when the criminals responsible learn of his investigation. He begins a forbidden romance with Samuel's mother, Rachel (Kelly McGillis), before the criminals learn of Book's whereabouts.
Deeply Felt Romance and Danger
Murder, crime, and attraction all go hand in hand in a neo-noir film. Witness enhances these elements by making the attraction not about just lust or desire, but about a true connection between two unlikely people. It does so without actually sacrificing the palpable physical chemistry between John and Rachel. Along with the film's central romance, the tension and looming danger lurking through the shadows is just as palpable.
7 Nighthawks (1981)
Nighthawks
- Release Date
- April 10, 1981
- Director
- Bruce Malmuth , Gary Nelson
- Cast
- Sylvester Stallone , Rutger Hauer , Billy Dee Williams , Lindsay Wagner , Persis Khambatta , Joe Spinell
A noir through and through, Nighthawks centers around competent NYPD detectives Deke DaSaliva (Sylvester Stallone) and Matthew Fox (Billy Dee Williams) who get transferred to an elite anti-terrorism unit. Shortly after they move units, a wanted European terrorist shows his face in New York looking to wreak havoc among innocent civilians. It is up to DaSilva and Fox to bring his reign of terror down.
The Nitty-Gritty of Neo-Noir
From the grungy, trash-lined streets of 1980s NYC to the dark, shadowy cinematography, Nighthawks is a thrilling film that deserves to rank higher among the decade's best neo-noir films.
It boasts a great performance from Stallone at the height of his Rocky fame that allows him to get down to the nitty-gritty of what happens when someone is faced with a threat like this. DaSilva and Fox play a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the terrorist, played by Rutger Hauer, through the city with some incredible practical stunts.
6 American Gigolo (1980)
Directed by Taxi Driver and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters writer Paul Schrader, American Gigolo follows a young male escort named Julian (Richard Gere) who serves older women in L.A. After one of his clients is murdered, a police detective begins questioning him for information regarding his clients, which he is reluctant to give considering his line of work. With the strange nature of the case, Julian starts to suspect he is being framed.
Neon Sleaze in Neo-Noir
American Gigolo perfectly captures the sleazy, neon-lit backdrop of big American cities in the '80s that frequented neo-noir films then. Gere's Julian lives his life through a series of transactions due to his profession. He's always used and never loved, and so being framed for murder is tragically fitting for him.
Gere also does an excellent job of portraying Julian's need to fit in with the high society circles he's infiltrated while desperately trying to ensure he isn't discarded by the same people he seeks approval from.
Stream American Gigolo on Showtime or Paramount+
5 To Live and Die in LA (1985)
To Live and Die in LA
- Release Date
- November 1, 1985
- Director
- William Friedkin
- Cast
- William Petersen , Willem Dafoe , John Pankow , Debra Feuer , John Turturro , Darlanne Fluegel
Over a decade after he revolutionized the horror genre with The Exorcist, William Friedkin reimagined neo-noir with To Live and Die in L.A. Combining the thrilling elements of neo-noir with outstanding action sequences.
The film centers around a reckless Secret Service agent named Richie Chance (William Peterson) who works mainly in counterfeiting. After his partner is killed, Richie is determined to catch notorious counterfeiter Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe) who has no qualms about using violence and murder against anyone who crosses him.
A Breathtaking Blend of Noir and Action
The film captures the dark themes that makes the noir genre what it is. From the breathtaking shots to the engaging storyline, it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. A groundbreaking and lengthy car chase that leaves its audience stunned.
Even the Wang Chung-heavy soundtrack elevates this neo-noir to new heights. It is often overshadowed by other acclaimed Friedkin films such as The French Connection, but it is more than deserving of the same level of praise and adoration.
To Live and Die in L.A. is not currently available to rent or stream
4 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
- Release Date
- June 21, 1988
- Director
- Robert Zemeckis
- Cast
- Bob Hoskins , Christopher Lloyd , Joanna Cassidy , Charles Fleischer , Stubby Kaye , Alan Tilvern
It may feel slightly out of place on this list, but Robert Zemeckis' blend of the live-action and animated worlds is undoubtedly a neo-noir film. Who Framed Roger Rabbit follows toon star Roger Rabbit who is worried his wife, Jessica, is playing paddycake with another toon. Acme Studios hires human private investigator Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) to spy on her, but when the studio head is found dead, Roger is the prime suspect and needs Eddie's help to clear his name.
Noir Elements in the Cartoon World
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is an homage to many things. Classic cartoons, filmmaking, and film noir from the '40s and '50s. It takes the best of the Golden Age Hollywood's noir films and puts an original spin on it by including cartoons that think and feel just as we do.
Eddie Valiant is the typical disgruntled, unfriendly private eye who just wants to solve the case while Roger is the innocent suspect without a clue as to who would do this to him. It's a beloved movie for many kids, but it is highly underappreciated as a neo-noir.
3 Cutter's Way (1981)
In Ivan Passar's Cutter's Way, Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) is a drifter living with his married friends Mo (Lisa Eichhorn) and Alex Cutter (John Heard). When Richard one day sees a man dumping a body, he decides to expose the culprit with Alex's help. However, their actions have tragic consequences.
An Especially Bleak Neo-Noir
Neo-noir movies are supposed to follow dark themes and have upsetting moments, but there are times when Cutter's Way takes bleak tragedy to the extreme. Even with the heavy themes and disheartening storyline, the film is glued together by strong performances from Jeff Bridges and John Heard. Dark themes and plot aside, this powerful neo-noir is worth a watch for fans of the genre.
Stream Cutter's Way on Tubi or Freevee
2 After Hours (1985)
Not just an underrated neo-noir film, but perhaps one of Martin Scorsese's most underrated films, After Hours follows one comically long and excruciating night in an ordinary word processor's life. When Paul Hackett (Griffin Dune) meets a girl in a Soho coffee shop, he decides to meet up with her later. That decision to meet up with a stranger takes him on the worst night of his life.
A Comedic Spin on Neo-Noir
Despite the comedic approach, Scorsese's stylish outing has neo-noir elements coursing through its veins. Paul falls into unbearable situation after unbearable situation throughout the city. Many of his unfortunate adventures entangle him with the criminal underbelly of New York City and just overall bizarre city dwellers.
The infusion of dark comedy into noir elements works surprisingly well, as Paul is even mistaken for a burglar after wanted posters of him are put up after he rejects the girl he met at the coffee shop.
Stream After Hours on Tubi or The Criterion Collection
1 Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982)
Carl Reiner's Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is another neo-noir that incorporates comedy, although this film is mostly comedic. A loving parody of the genre, the film follows a private investigator named Rigby Reardon (Steve Martin) who is enlisted by a woman named Juliet Forrest to solve her father's murder. While searching for answers, Rigby encounters lowlifes that were the hallmarks of black-and-white film noir in the '40s and '50s.
A Light-Hearted Neo-Noir
The film is shot in black and white, which brilliantly allows the use of archival footage of Golden Age stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Barbara Stanwyck and more to be featured as characters in the film. Bogart's The Big Sleep character, Philip Marlowe, is actually Rigby's assistant in the movie.
It follows the same story beats and plot lines that classic film noir uses and simultaneously parodies and pays homage to the genre's stereotypes. It's undoubtedly the most lighthearted film on this list and would be an excellent choice to end an '80s neo-noir movie marathon.
Rent Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid on Prime Video