Film Noir the 1980s
by karljhickey14 | created - 30 Jan 2017 | updated - 06 Feb 2017 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Body Heat (1981)
R | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
During an extreme heatwave, a beautiful Florida woman and a seedy lawyer engage in an affair while plotting the murder of her rich husband.
Director: Lawrence Kasdan | Stars: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson
Votes: 39,982 | Gross: $24.06M
2. Blood Simple (1984)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies, and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh
Votes: 104,637 | Gross: $2.15M
3. Blue Velvet (1986)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern
Votes: 214,789 | Gross: $8.55M
4. Hammett (1982)
PG | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Fictional account of real-life mystery writer Dashiell Hammett, and his involvement in the investigation of a beautiful Chinese cabaret actress' mysterious disappearance in San Francisco.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Frederic Forrest, Peter Boyle, Marilu Henner, Roy Kinnear
Votes: 3,667 | Gross: $0.04M
5. Thief (1981)
R | 123 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ace safe cracker wants to do one last big heist for the mob before going straight.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson, Jim Belushi
Votes: 38,573 | Gross: $11.49M
6. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
The sensuous wife of a roadside diner proprietor and a rootless drifter begin a sordid, steamy affair and conspire to murder her Greek husband.
Director: Bob Rafelson | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Jessica Lange, John Colicos, Michael Lerner
Votes: 25,686 | Gross: $12.38M
7. Slow Burn (1986 TV Movie)
R | 92 min | Drama, Thriller
Jacob Asch is hired by Gerald McMurty to find his ex-wife Laine and their son in Palm Springs. Jacob finds Laine and a teenager named Donnie who may or may not be Gerald's son. He also ... See full summary »
Director: Matthew Chapman | Stars: Eric Roberts, Beverly D'Angelo, Dennis Lipscomb, Raymond J. Barry
Votes: 923
8. A Flash of Green (1984)
TV-MA | 121 min | Drama
A local reporter gets involved with a corrupt county commissioner.
Director: Victor Nunez | Stars: Ed Harris, Blair Brown, Richard Jordan, George Coe
Votes: 269
9. 8 Million Ways to Die (1986)
R | 115 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A former police detective, still recovering from his alcohol addiction, is seemingly drawn into L.A's criminal underworld after stumbling upon a local drug ring.
Director: Hal Ashby | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Rosanna Arquette, Alexandra Paul, Randy Brooks
Votes: 5,896 | Gross: $1.31M
10. Against All Odds (1984)
R | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A gangster hires an ex-football player to find his girlfriend. When he finds her, they fall in love, and the twists start to appear.
Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Rachel Ward, Jeff Bridges, James Woods, Alex Karras
Votes: 13,524 | Gross: $25.10M
11. No Way Out (1987)
R | 114 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A coverup and witchhunt occur after a politician accidentally kills his mistress.
Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young, Will Patton
Votes: 45,633 | Gross: $35.51M
12. Repo Man (1984)
R | 92 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A young punk, recruited by a car repo agency, finds himself in pursuit of a Chevrolet Malibu with a huge, $20,000 bounty--and something otherworldly stashed in its trunk.
Director: Alex Cox | Stars: Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez, Tracey Walter, Olivia Barash
Votes: 40,674 | Gross: $3.57M
13. I, the Jury (1982)
R | 111 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A PI investigates the murder of his one-armed friend, a PI working on a case. Clues lead to a sex clinic. Bodies pile up.
Director: Richard T. Heffron | Stars: Armand Assante, Barbara Carrera, Laurene Landon, Alan King
Votes: 1,806 | Gross: $1.52M
14. Flashpoint (1984)
R | 93 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Two U.S. border patrolmen find a buried 20+ year old jeep in the desert with a skeleton, rifle and $800,000. They keep the money. Suddenly, the FBI shows a lot of interest in the car.
Director: William Tannen | Stars: Kris Kristofferson, Treat Williams, Rip Torn, Kevin Conway
Votes: 3,136 | Gross: $3.85M
15. L.A. Takedown (1989 TV Movie)
97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Tough Los Angeles cop Vincent Hanna takes on a gang of professional bank robbers led by the precise, enigmatic Patrick McLaren.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Scott Plank, Alex McArthur, Michael Rooker, Ely Pouget
Votes: 2,549
16. The Hit (1984)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Ten years after ratting on his old mobster friends in exchange for personal immunity, two hit men drive a hardened criminal to Paris for his execution. However, while on the way, whatever can go wrong, does go wrong.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Freddie Stuart, Ralph Brown, A.J. Clarke, Terence Stamp
Votes: 9,497 | Gross: $0.88M
17. The Border (1982)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama
A corrupt border Agent decides to clean up his act when an impoverished woman's baby is put up for sale on the black market.
Director: Tony Richardson | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Valerie Perrine, Warren Oates
Votes: 7,060 | Gross: $6.12M
18. Mona Lisa (1986)
R | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A man recently released from prison manages to get a job driving a call girl from customer to customer.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Cathy Tyson, Michael Caine, Robbie Coltrane
Votes: 18,608 | Gross: $5.79M
19. Union City (1980)
PG | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
A man is so obsessed with finding the person responsible for stealing his milk bottles that he ignores his beautiful young wife, who has other ideas on her mind.
Director: Marcus Reichert | Stars: Dennis Lipscomb, Debbie Harry, Sam McMurray, Terry Walsh
Votes: 458
20. American Gigolo (1980)
R | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Los Angeles escort is accused of a murder which he did not commit.
Director: Paul Schrader | Stars: Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton, Hector Elizondo, Nina van Pallandt
Votes: 29,292 | Gross: $23.00M
21. Atlantic City (1980)
R | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Susan Sarandon, Kate Reid, Michel Piccoli
Votes: 18,224
22. Body Double (1984)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A young actor's obsession with spying on a beautiful woman who lives nearby leads to a baffling series of events with drastic consequences.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton
Votes: 37,823 | Gross: $8.80M
23. Backfire (1987)
R | 90 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Disgruntled wife cheats on her well off husband, who's been suffering from PTSD ever since he came home from the Vietnam War. After an incident he ends up in a catatonic state. Soon, she begins to suspect that someone is after her.
Director: Gilbert Cates | Stars: Karen Allen, Keith Carradine, Jeff Fahey, Bernie Casey
Votes: 727
24. At Close Range (1986)
R | 111 min | Crime, Drama
Reunited with his career criminal father, tough teen Brad thinks he's found his ticket to an exciting life of crime, only to find out he's wrong.
Director: James Foley | Stars: Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Mary Stuart Masterson, Chris Penn
Votes: 17,628 | Gross: $2.35M
25. Angel Heart (1987)
X | 113 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A private investigator is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling
Votes: 95,460 | Gross: $17.19M
26. 52 Pick-Up (1986)
R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A secret fling between a man and his mistress leads to blackmail and murder.
Director: John Frankenheimer | Stars: Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, Vanity, John Glover
Votes: 6,974 | Gross: $5.19M
27. Cat Chaser (1989)
R | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A Miami hotel owner finds danger when he becomes romantically involved with the wife of a deposed general from the Dominican Republic where he fought many years back.
Director: Abel Ferrara | Stars: Peter Weller, Kelly McGillis, Charles Durning, Frederic Forrest
Votes: 1,504
28. Black Widow (1987)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A federal investigator tracks down a gold-digging woman who moves from husband to husband to kill them and collect the inheritance.
Director: Bob Rafelson | Stars: Debra Winger, Theresa Russell, Sami Frey, Dennis Hopper
Votes: 10,959 | Gross: $25.21M
29. Blow Out (1981)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz
Votes: 62,603 | Gross: $13.75M
30. Butterfly (1981)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama
In 1937 Nevada, silver mine caretaker Jess Tyler is reunited with his teenage daughter Kady who will do anything to persuade Jess to let her have claim to the mine.
Director: Matt Cimber | Stars: Stacy Keach, Pia Zadora, Orson Welles, Lois Nettleton
Votes: 1,548
31. Cop (1988)
R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An obsessive, insubordinate homicide cop is convinced a serial killer is loose in the Hollywood area and disobeys orders in order to catch him.
Director: James B. Harris | Stars: James Woods, Lesley Ann Warren, Charles Durning, Charles Haid
Votes: 6,123 | Gross: $1.88M
32. Cutter's Way (1981)
R | 109 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Richard spots a man dumping a body, and decides to expose the man he thinks is the culprit with his friend Alex Cutter.
Director: Ivan Passer | Stars: Jeff Bridges, John Heard, Lisa Eichhorn, Ann Dusenberry
Votes: 7,598 | Gross: $1.73M
33. Dead Calm (1989)
R | 96 min | Horror, Thriller
After a tragedy, John Ingram and his wife Rae are spending some time isolated at sea, when they come across a stranger who has abandoned a sinking ship.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane, Rod Mullinar
Votes: 43,539 | Gross: $7.83M
34. Gotham (1988 TV Movie)
R | 98 min | Thriller
A private detective is hired to stop his client's ex-wife from harassing him, but she's supposed to have died 10 years ago.
Director: Lloyd Fonvielle | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Virginia Madsen, Colin Bruce, Denise Stephenson
Votes: 1,029
35. Dead of Winter (1987)
R | 100 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A fledgling actress is lured to a remote mansion for a screen-test, soon discovering she is actually a prisoner in the middle of a blackmail plot.
Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, Jan Rubes, William Russ
Votes: 4,646 | Gross: $2.41M
36. D.O.A. (1988)
R | 96 min | Mystery, Thriller
A college professor's day: his top student allegedly commits suicide, his wife presents him with divorce papers and he overnights in a freshman girl's dorm. The next day: more murders around him. Will he find the killer in time?
Directors: Annabel Jankel, Rocky Morton | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Charlotte Rampling, Daniel Stern
Votes: 10,926 | Gross: $12.71M
37. Double Negative (1980)
96 min | Thriller
Mentally tortured photojournalist attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
Director: George Bloomfield | Stars: Michael Sarrazin, Susan Clark, Anthony Perkins, Howard Duff
Votes: 181
38. Dressed to Kill (1980)
R | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mysterious blonde woman kills one of a psychiatrist's patients, and then goes after the high-class call girl who witnessed the murder.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon
Votes: 47,967 | Gross: $31.90M
39. Gloria (1980)
PG | 123 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When a young boy's family is killed by the mob, their tough neighbor Gloria becomes his reluctant guardian. In possession of a book that the gangsters want, the pair go on the run in New York.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, Buck Henry, Julie Carmen, Tony Knesich
Votes: 11,351
40. The Hitcher (1986)
R | 97 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A young man who escapes the clutches of a murderous hitchhiker is subsequently stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.
Director: Robert Harmon | Stars: Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn
Votes: 52,261 | Gross: $5.84M
41. House of Games (1987)
R | 102 min | Crime, Thriller
A psychiatrist comes to the aid of a compulsive gambler and is led by a smooth-talking grifter into the shadowy but compelling world of stings, scams, and con men.
Director: David Mamet | Stars: Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Mike Nussbaum, Lilia Skala
Votes: 23,956 | Gross: $2.59M
42. Kill Me Again (1989)
R | 94 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A young detective becomes involved with a beautiful woman on the run from the mob and her psychopath boyfriend.
Director: John Dahl | Stars: Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Pat Mulligan, Nick Dimitri
Votes: 5,644 | Gross: $0.28M
43. The Kill-Off (1989)
110 min | Crime, Drama
Business at The Pavilion bar is down so Pete and Rags decide that the best way to get The Pavilion off the skids is to turn it into a strip joint.
Director: Maggie Greenwald | Stars: Loretta Gross, Andrew Lee Barrett, Jackson Sims, Steve Monroe
Votes: 220 | Gross: $8.40M
44. Poussière d'ange (1987)
95 min | Action, Crime, Mystery