The 60+ Best Neo-Noirs
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Vote for your personal favorite Neo-noir films, regardless of how popular or successful they were at the box office.
1Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John HustonIn the heart of Los Angeles, private investigator Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is immersed in a web of deceit and corruption in the neo-noir classic Chinatown. Directed by Roman Polanski, this 1974 film delves into the city's grim underbelly, exposing water supply conspiracies and shocking family secrets. With Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) at the center of the mystery, Gittes navigates treacherous waters to uncover the truth. The film clinched an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay while earning eleven nominations. Chinatown remains an enduring testament to masterful storytelling in cinema.More Chinatown
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- 2Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean YoungIn Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a seasoned blade runner, undertakes an assignment that plunges him into the dystopian underbelly of future Los Angeles. His mission? To hunt down and retire rogue replicants - bioengineered beings virtually indistinguishable from humans. Amidst this grim task, he encounters Rachael (Sean Young), a special replicant who triggers a spiral of existential questions. Directed by Ridley Scott, this neo-noir science fiction film is acclaimed for its thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be human, set against a backdrop of striking visual effects and haunting music. A must-watch classic in the genre.
- 3Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H. MacyFargo, a dark comedy-crime film, is an unforgettable journey into the frozen heart of Minnesota. Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a car salesman in Minneapolis, hatches a desperate scheme involving his wife and two bumbling criminals, Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare). The plan backfires when it attracts the attention of Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), the pregnant police chief of Brainerd. McDormand won an Oscar for her portrayal of Gunderson, whose tenacious investigation unravels the plot amidst the snow-swept landscapes. The film's unique blend of horror and humor has earned it a cult following and multiple awards, including two Academy Awards.More Fargo
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4John Getz, Frances McDormand, M. Emmet Walsh"Blood Simple" was the first feature film from Joel and Ethan Coen. This is the newly restored and re-edited director's cut of the film, introduced by Mortimer Young. The stylish crime thriller premiered at film festivals in 1984. "Blood Simple" begins deep in the heart of Texas, where a jealous saloon owner hires a cheap divorce detective to kill the saloon owner's younger wife and her bartender lover. But the detective gets a better idea: he follows the two lovers, and...More Blood Simple- #249 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
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5Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe PantolianoMemento is a gripping exploration of memory and revenge, directed by Christopher Nolan. The film revolves around Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), who suffers from anterograde amnesia - an inability to form new memories. Determined to find his wife's murderer, Leonard relies on photographs, notes, and tattoos to retain information. The narrative unfolds in a non-linear fashion, with scenes alternating between color and black-and-white sequences, reflecting the disjointed nature of Leonard's memory. Co-stars include Carrie-Anne Moss as Natalie and Joe Pantoliano as Teddy. Memento was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay.More Memento- #32 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- 6Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz PalminteriThe Usual Suspects is a mystery-thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Five criminals, including Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) and Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey), meet during a police lineup. Soon after, they are entangled in an intricate plot involving a legendary criminal mastermind named Keyser Söze. The movie won two Academy Awards, one for Best Original Screenplay and another for Best Supporting Actor (Spacey). Directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie, it's a film of deception, power plays, and secrets that constantly challenges its audience.More The Usual Suspects
- #7 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- 7Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, Laura HarringIn David Lynch's puzzling masterpiece, Mulholland Drive, Betty Elms (Naomi Watts), an aspiring actress, finds herself entangled in the enigmatic life of Rita (Laura Harring), an amnesiac woman. As they traverse the dreamlike landscape of Hollywood, their journey is peppered with cryptic symbols and shadowy figures. Simultaneously, director Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux) grapples with strange occurrences disrupting his latest film project. This surreal mystery-drama, honored with a Best Director award at Cannes, weaves a complex web of intrigue that blurs the lines between dreams and reality, challenging audiences to unravel its mysteries.More Mulholland Drive
- #110 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- 8Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan CranstonIn the movie Drive, a quiet, enigmatic man known only as Driver (Ryan Gosling) leads a double life in sun-soaked Los Angeles. By day, he's a hardworking mechanic and Hollywood stuntman, but as night falls, he transforms into a ruthless getaway driver for hire. The plot thickens when Driver becomes entangled with his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son Benicio (Kaden Leos), leading to unforeseen consequences. A neo-noir thriller directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive won him the Best Director award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. The film expertly weaves high-stakes action with stirring human drama, all set against an atmospheric synth-pop soundtrack.More Drive
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- 9Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer ConnellyIn the enigmatic film Dark City, John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) grapples with memory loss in a shadowy, ever-changing metropolis. Waking up accused of brutal murders, he's pursued by Inspector Bumstead (William Hurt), and an ominous group known as the Strangers. As Murdoch seeks answers, he crosses paths with his estranged wife Emma (Jennifer Connelly), and Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland), a neurotic scientist who holds the key to his past. The movie, a mix of science fiction and noir, won the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay. It explores themes of identity and reality manipulation while keeping viewers on edge with its fast-paced plot twists.More Dark City
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- 10Robert Downey, Val Kilmer, Michelle MonaghanIn Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Robert Downey Jr. dons the character of Harry Lockhart, a petty thief turned accidental actor. He is paired with Gay Perry (Val Kilmer), a private investigator, to prepare for an upcoming role. Michelle Monaghan plays Harmony Faith Lane, Harry's lost love and aspiring actress. Set in the backdrop of Los Angeles, the film weaves a complex tale of murder and mystery. Directed by Shane Black, this dark comedy-cum-mystery thriller takes unexpected twists and turns, keeping audiences on their toes throughout its runtime. The movie won praise for its sharp dialogues and memorable performances, particularly from Downey Jr. and Kilmer.More Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
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- 11Jessica Alba, Devon Aoki, Alexis BledelAn anthology of dark tales unfurls in Sin City, a stark neo-noir film. In the shadowy corners of Basin City, ex-convict Marv (Mickey Rourke) seeks vengeance for his lover's death. Meanwhile, Dwight (Clive Owen), tangled in a dangerous love triangle, navigates treacherous waters to protect Old Town's women. Simultaneously, honest cop Hartigan (Bruce Willis) fights to safeguard a young woman from a sadistic pedophile. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, this 2005 cinematic adaptation of Miller's graphic novels interweaves these stories with unflinching brutality and raw emotionality, earning it critical acclaim and several award nominations.More Sin City
- #96 of 191 onThe Best Movies For Men
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- #55 of 166 onThe 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
12Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas, Nora ZehetnerBrendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), high school loner, plunges into a murky underworld when his ex-girlfriend vanishes. Through the labyrinthine hallways of his school to seedy, drug-laden parties, Brendan uses his wits and fists to uncover the truth. Underneath the veneer of suburban calm lurks a web of deception in this neo-noir thriller. Brick, directed by Rian Johnson, is an award-winning tour de force that deftly weaves classic film-noir tropes into an innovative modern setting. It's a complex tale where everyone's a suspect and nothing is as it seems.More Brick- #227 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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13Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper, Lara Flynn BoyleWhen unemployed ex-marine Michael Williams (Nicolas Cage) stumbles into a bar in Red Rock, Wyo., the owner, Wayne (J.T. Walsh), mistakes him for a hired killer and offers him $10,000 to kill his wife, Suzanne (Lara Flynn Boyle). Michael plays along, taking half the money up front, then tells Suzanne what her husband is planning. She seduces Michael and proposes that he kill her husband instead. While he weighs his options, the real killer (Dennis Hopper) turns up looking for his money.
14Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar GettyIn the enigmatic film Lost Highway, Fred Madison (Bill Pullman), a jazz saxophonist, finds himself accused of murder. The narrative plunges into an eerie realm as he transforms into Pete Dayton (Balthazar Getty), a young mechanic drawn into a web of intrigue by femme fatale Alice Wakefield (Patricia Arquette). Directed by David Lynch, this psychological thriller is renowned for its non-linear storyline and atmospheric cinematography. Despite its perplexing plot structure, the movie manages to keep viewers on edge with its blend of noir elements and surreal horror, making it a significant entry in Lynch's filmography.More Lost Highway- #317 of 379 onThe Best Movies Of The 1990s
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15Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Chazz PalminteriIn the desert near Los Angeles, a beautiful woman named Allison Pond (Jennifer Connelly) is found murdered. A special investigative unit led by hard-edged detective Max Hoover (Nick Nolte) is brought in when it looks like the victim may have ties to a secret military program. But Hoover has his own secret: Unbeknown to his adoring wife (Melanie Griffith), Allison is his ex-mistress, and her friend Jimmy Fields (Andrew McCarthy) has secretly filmed pornographic evidence of their affair.
16John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Annette BeningHard-as-nails Lily Dillon (Anjelica Huston) works as a swindler for dangerous bookie Bobo (Pat Hingle), probably the only man she fears. Arriving in Los Angeles on "business," Lily looks up her son, Roy (John Cusack), a small-time con artist content with paltry sleight-of-hand cheats. Roy's girlfriend, Myra (Annette Bening), looks like an All-American type but is a grifter looking to pull off another big-time con. The convergence of the three hustlers inevitably means trouble for all of them.More The Grifters- #308 of 379 onThe Best Movies Of The 1990s
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17James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie NelsonA highly skilled jewel thief, Frank (James Caan) longs to leave his dangerous trade and settle down with his girlfriend, Jessie (Tuesday Weld). Eager to make one last big score in order to begin living a legitimate life, Frank reluctantly associates with Leo (Robert Prosky), a powerful gangster. Unfortunately for Frank, Leo wants to keep him in his employ, resulting in a tense showdown when he finally tries to give up his criminal activities once and for all.
18Bill Paxton, Cynda Williams, Billy Bob ThorntonFollowing a series of drug deals and murders, three criminals -- Fantasia (Cynda Williams), Ray Malcolm (Billy Bob Thornton) and Pluto (Michael Beach) -- travel from Los Angeles to Houston, finally arriving in a small Arkansas town to go into hiding. Two detectives from the LAPD, who are already on the case, contact the town's sheriff, Dale Dixon (Bill Paxton), to alert him of the fugitives' presence in the area. Underestimating Dixon, the criminals have no idea what they are about to face.More One False Move- #491 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
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- 19Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen Ji-Dan, Bill SkarsgårdWith the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hit man John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.More John Wick: Chapter 4
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20Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth PaltrowA stranger (Philip Baker Hall) mentors a young Reno gambler (John C. Reilly) who weds a hooker (Gwyneth Paltrow) and befriends a vulgar casino regular.More Hard Eight- #63 of 117 onThe Best Movies Of 1996
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21Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Meg TillyPrivate investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by real estate developer Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel) for some run-of-the-mill matrimonial work. After Berman shoots his wife's lover, who happens to be his own business partner, Gittes is drawn into a web of conspiracy and deceit involving the oil reserves beneath Los Angeles. While investigating, Gittes hears a voice from his past that causes him to revisit a traumatic case in Chinatown.More The Two Jakes
22Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer BealsIn late 1940s Los Angeles, Easy Rawlins (Denzel Washington) is an unemployed black World War II veteran with few job prospects. At a bar, Easy meets DeWitt Albright (Tom Sizemore), a mysterious white man looking for someone to investigate the disappearance of a missing white woman named Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals), who he suspects is hiding out in one of the city's black jazz clubs. Strapped for money and facing house payments, Easy takes the job, but soon finds himself in over his head.More Devil in a Blue Dress- #64 of 90 onThe Best Movies Of 1995
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- 23Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe PesciIn Raging Bull, we witness the turbulent life of Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro), a self-destructive boxer struggling with his violent tendencies. Martin Scorsese directs this biographical drama, which earned De Niro an Oscar for Best Actor. The movie is set in the world of mid-20th century professional boxing, where LaMotta battles opponents in the ring and his personal demons outside. His brother and manager Joey (Joe Pesci) tries to keep him on track, but LaMotta's fury proves to be his toughest adversary.More Raging Bull
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24Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer ConnellyHarry Madox (Don Johnson) is a drifter who settles into a small Texas town, taking a job at a used car dealership. He proceeds to have affairs with the sultry Dolly Harshaw (Virginia Madsen), the wife of the dealership's owner, and pretty accountant, Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly), all while plotting to rob the local bank. When Harry is arrested for the robbery, Dolly provides him with an alibi, but when he plans on leaving town with Gloria, Dolly is understandably upset.
25Emma Thomas, Barbara Stepansky, John Nolanollowing is a 1998 British neo-noir drama thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of a young man who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into an underworld when he fails to keep his distance. As Christopher Nolan's debut feature, it was designed to be as inexpensive as possible to make: scenes were heavily rehearsed so that just one or two takes were needed, thus economising on 16 mm film stock, the production's greatest expense, and for which Nolan was paying from his salary.
26Jennifer Lopez, Sean Penn, Claire DanesU Turn is a 1997 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Sean Penn, Billy Bob Thornton, Jennifer Lopez, Jon Voight, Powers Boothe, Joaquin Phoenix, Claire Danes, and Nick Nolte. It is based on the book Stray Dogs by John Ridley.
27Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel BoulangerPetty thug Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) considers himself a suave bad guy in the manner of Humphrey Bogart, but panics and impulsively kills a policeman while driving a stolen car. On the lam, he turns to his aspiring journalist girlfriend, Patricia (Jean Seberg), hiding out in her Paris apartment while he tries to pull together enough money to get the pair to Italy. But when Patricia learns that her boyfriend is being investigated for murder, she begins to question her loyalties.- 28Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Charlotte RamplingA professor (Dennis Quaid) and a coed (Meg Ryan) spend his final hours trying to find out who has slipped him luminous poison.More D.O.A.
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29Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, VanityBased on a novel by Elmore Leonard, this gritty movie follows a plot to blackmail wealthy industrialist Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider). Married to an aspiring politician (Ann-Margret), Harry has been caught having an affair with Cini (Kelly Preston), a much younger woman. When Harry doesn't play by the rules of his blackmailers, they begin an escalating chain of violence that extends to murder. Undaunted, Harry decides to fight back against the criminals.
30David Caruso, Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. JacksonAfter his time in prison, Jimmy Kilmartin (David Caruso) keeps his head down and provides for his wife and kids, until his cousin Ronnie (Michael Rapaport) ropes him into a large-scale car heist that goes bad. After several more years in the pen, a district attorney (Stanley Tucci) offers Jimmy a deal that will spring him if he agrees to go undercover and help nail murderous crime lord Little Junior Brown (Nicolas Cage). But Little Junior won't go down without a fight.
