The noir subgenre reached its apex during the Golden Age of Hollywood, thanks to iconic films like The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity. It saw a decline during the 60s but returned during the New Hollywood era, evolving into what is today known as neo-noir.
Although the neo-noir subgenre isn’t nearly as acclaimed as noir was during the 40s and 50s, it’s still a favorite of many directors and writers. In fact, many modern neo-noir pictures have quickly become critical darlings and fan favorites, ensuring their legacy as timeless cinematic icons. From thrillers to comedies, these neo-noir films are quickly on their way to becoming modern classics.
10 ‘Brick’ (2005)
Rian Johnson‘s directorial debut, Brick, marks his first collaboration with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film revolves around a teenage loner who infiltrates his high school’s exclusive cliques to learn the truth about his ex-girlfriend’s death.
Brick is among the 21st century’s most underrated teen films. Gripping and deftly crafted, the film benefits from Johnson’s recognizable narrative style and Gordon-Levitt’s assured performance, resulting in a fresh and satisfying high school mystery that has already stood the test of time. And while the film’s overt homages can be too much for some, Brick remains a risky but rewarding mystery on its way to becoming a modern classic.
9 ‘Sin City’ (2005)
Sin City, Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller‘s striking adaptation of Miller’s eponymous graphic novel is a unique entry into the ever-expanding comic book adaptation pantheon. The film follows three distinct storylines taking place in the corrupt Basin City, better known as Sin City.
Famous for its now-iconic visual style — black-and-white with only a few elements colorized –, Sin City is among the riskiest and most daring comic book adaptations. Narratively ambitious and visually striking, the film juggles an impressive ensemble to tell three stories about ambition, obsession, and morality, elevated by a confident and highly-stylized approach that both challenges and entertains.
8 ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)
Shane Black‘s ridiculous neo-noir comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a bonafide modern classic. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Harry, a petty thief confused for an actor and sent to Los Angeles to train with a PI played by Val Kilmer. However, the two soon become involved in a dangerous conspiracy, and hilarity ensues.
Elevated by one of Downey Jr.’s most absurd and engaging performances, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a brilliant and biting satire of noir’s best-known tropes. Intentionally silly and endlessly entertaining, the film is a near-perfect mix of laughs and genuine thrills, resulting in a delightful story that will keep audiences hooked to their screens — and on the edge of their seats.
7 ‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)
Denis Villeneuve‘s long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott‘s 1982 classic was a rousing success. Ryan Gosling stars as K, a blade runner who discovers a dangerous secret that leads him to search for Rick Deckard, a fellow blade runner that has been missing for thirty years.
Blade Runner 2049 is the rare legacy sequel that not only lives up to the beloved original but surpasses it in several key aspects. Enhanced by stunning visuals that perfectly bring the future to life, the film is a successful and moving expansion on this bleak but fascinating sci-fi universe, reinforcing the original’s themes of identity and humanity and delivering another modern classic of sci-fi and noir.
6 ‘Nightmare Alley’ (2021)
Guillermo del Toro breathes new and eerie life to an underrated classic with his 2021 noir drama Nightmare Alley. The film stars Bradley Cooper as Stanton Carslile, an ambitious carney who teams up with a cunning psychiatrist to take his psychic act to the next level.
Benefitting from del Toro’s unique style, Nightmare Alley is a cruel and relentless look into ambition and desperation, heightened by a stellar cast led by a devastating Cooper. Gleefully wicked, Nightmare Alley might be a tough watch, but its deft handling of thorny subjects and lush production values make it a modern noir with a bite as strong as its powerful bark.
5 ‘Gone Baby Gone’ (2007)
Ben Affleck‘s 2007 directorial debut introduced him to the fascinating world of filmmaking with a bang. Gone Baby Gone stars Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan as two PIs looking into the disappearance of a young girl kidnapped from her single mother’s apartment.
Like many of Affleck’s films, Gone Baby Gone benefits from its Boston setting, setting a bleak but highly effective tone for the thrills. Amoral and deeply compelling, Gone Baby Gone is a provocative subversion of the thriller’s classic rules, turning the genre upside down and producing one of the most impactful and complex neo-noirs in recent memory.
4 ‘Nightcrawler’ (2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal arguably gives the best performance of his career in Dan Gilroy‘s psychological neo-noir thriller Nightcrawler. The acclaimed actor plays Lou Bloom, a troubled and ruthless stringer who records violent crimes across Los Angeles and sells them to a local news station.
Thanks to a chilling, career-best central performance by Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler is the sort of film that stays with the audience for a long time. Unapologetic and bleak, the film is a cynical and often brutal depiction of the amorality of journalism, posing intriguing and hard questions bound to cement its long-lasting legacy as a ruthless depiction of ethics and morals.
3 ‘The Nice Guys’ (2017)
The neo-noir subgenre received a healthy dose of comedy with Shane Black’s hilarious The Nice Guys. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe star as Holland March and Jackson Healey, an inept PI and a brute enforcer who team up to investigate a young woman’s disappearance.
Absurd and endlessly entertaining, The Nice Guys is a triumphant achievement that expertly blends the best of neo-noir and comedy. Strengthened by Gosling and Crowe’s riotous performances and irresistible chemistry, The Nice Guys honors the essence of the buddy comedy while introducing a biting modern twist, resulting in one of the new millennium’s best neo-noir movies.
2 ‘Drive’ (2011)
Ryan Gosling might as well be the king of neo-noir. His journey in the sub-genre took shape thanks to his work in Nicolas Winding Refn‘s 2011 action drama Drive, about a Hollywood stunt driver who unwillingly becomes involved in a dangerous heist while trying to protect his neighbor and her son.
Partnered with an equally stupendous Carey Mulligan, Gosling elevates Drive‘s already rich screenplay to new, tension-filled heights. Winding Refn creates a fascinating, kinetic, action-packed world of neon lights and hyper-stylized violence, producing a unique, explosive, and colorful entry into a genre often reduced to shadows and contrasts.
1 ‘Widows’ (2018)
Steve McQueen‘s masterpiece, Widows, stars an all-star cast led by the superb Viola Davis. The plot follows three widows forced to settle their recently-deceased husbands’ debts to a powerful crime boss. Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, and Cynthia Erivo also star.
Widows is a stirring, anxious, and captivating heist film further elevated by McQueen’s powerful artistic touch and the performances of a spectacular cast at the top of their game. Led by an assured Davis, Widows is cerebral, richly affecting, thought-provoking entertainment of the highest caliber, a modern classic that reaches deep into the audiences’ minds and hearts without ever letting go of their hands, taking them for a non-stop thrill ride.
