100 Best Film Noir Movies

By D J McAdam.

I love film noir movies.  In fact, being a bit of a Francophile, I even love the term, "film noir," literally, "black (or dark) film."  Not too long ago, I was watching the movie Key Largo, and started wondering what other great film noir movies I may have missed over the years.  At about the same time, I purchased Charles Pappas' It's a Bitter Little World: The Smartest Toughest Nastiest Quotes from Film Noir, which includes such dialogue gems as, "I treated her like a pair of gloves.  I was cold, I called her up."  Nice, huh?

Thus, the idea was born: readers of this website would appreciate a well-thought-out list of the best film noir movies.  (Sure they would - and people in hell would like a nice glass of ice-water, wouldn't they?)  Okay, time to stop with the tough guy parenthetical musings, and get to business.  Please note that no strict definition of what constitutes film noir is proffered or utilized, and that the order of the films is not of paramount importance.  This is a personal list, but I hope it helps you find some great movies to watch.

  1. Double Indemnity.  (1944.  Sheer genius to cast likeable Fred MacMurray as the anti-hero.  Barbara Stanwyck is really convincing as a bad girl.  Edward G. Robinson wasn't sure he'd take the supporting role, since he'd been the star of his films up to this point, but he did, and he is superb in the role.)
  2. Laura (1944.  Directed by Otto Preminger.  Watch this movie and try not falling in love with Gene Tierney.)
  3. The Maltese Falcon.  (1941.  Great film, though some could argue it's not dark enough for a true film noir.)
  4. Gun Crazy.  (1950.  Keeps getting re-released under different names, for no good reason.  Stars Peggy Cummins.)
  5. Key Largo.  (1948.  Bogart, Bacall, and Edward G. Robinson.)
  6. Strangers On a Train.  (1951, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, co-written by Raymond Chandler.  Suspense movie, or something darker?  You tell me.)
  7. The Big Sleep.  (1946, stars Humphrey Bogart.)
  8. The Third Man.  (1949.)
  9. Murder My Sweet.  (1944, which was obviously a great year for movies.  Stars Dick Powell.)
  10. Out of the Past.
  11. M.  (1931.  Directed by Fritz Lang, an early talkie, and if you're English speaking you'll have to cope with subtitles.)
  12. Sunset Boulevard.  (1950.  Directed by Billy Wilder.)
  13. Touch of Evil.  (1958, directed by Orson Welles, great cast.)
  14. Notorious.  (1946.)
  15. The Asphalt Jungle.  (1950.)
  16. The Killing.  (1956.)
  17. The Set-Up.
  18. Dial M for Murder.
  19. In a Lonely Place.  (1950.)
  20. The Postman Always Rings Twice.
  21. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers.  (1946.  Film debut of Kirk Douglas.)
  22. Body Heat.  (1981.  If you wonder whether Body Heat is true noir, try watching it immediately after Double Indemnity.)
  23. D.O.A.  (1950.  How California has changed!)
  24. Odd Man Out.  (1947.)
  25. The Night of the Hunter.  (1955.)
  26. Shadow of a Doubt.  (1943.) 
  27. White Heat.  (1949.  James Cagney.)
  28. Angels With Dirty Faces.  (1938.)
  29. The Big Heat.  (1953.)
  30. Narrow Margin.  (1952.)
  31. Born to Kill.  (1947, with Lawrence Tierney and Claire Trevor.)
  32. Night and the City.  (1950.)
  33. The Woman in the Window.  (1944.)
  34. I Wake Up Screaming.  (1941.)
  35. The Ox-Bow Incident.  (1943.)
  36. The Lost Weekend.  (1945.)
  37. The Killers.  (1946.)
  38. Body and Soul.  (1947.)
  39. The Big Clock.  (1948.)
  40. Leave Her to Heaven.  (1945.)
  41. Nightmare Alley.  (1947.)
  42. No Man of Her Own.  (1950.)
  43. The Shanghai Gesture.  (1941.)
  44. Spellbound.  (1945.)
  45. They Drive by Night.  (1940.)
  46. The Usual Suspects.  (1995.)
  47. Klute.  (1971.)
  48. Sin City.  (2005.)
  49. Cape Fear.  (1962.)
  50. Journey Into Fear.  (1943.)
  51. Lady in the Lake.  (1947.)
  52. The Two Mrs. Carrolls.  (1947.)
  53. Dead Reckoning.  (1947.)
  54. Rififi.  (1955.)
  55. the Blue Dahlia.  (1946.)
  56. Kansas City Confidential.  (1952.)
  57. Force of Evil.  (1948.)
  58. Detour.  (1945.)
  59. Cry of the City.  (1948.)
  60. Fallen Angel.  (1945.)
  61. The Lady from Shanghai.  (1947.)
  62. Kiss of Death.  (1947.)
  63. Kiss Me Deadly.  (1955.)
  64. Sudden Fear.  (1952.)
  65. Human Desire.  (1954.)
  66. Pickup on South Street.  (1953.)
  67. Where the Sidewalk Ends.  (1950.)
  68. This Gun for Hire.  (1942.)
  69. House of Strangers.  (1949.)
  70. The Wrong Man.  (1956.)
  71. Desperate.  (1947.)
  72. Odds Against Tomorrow.  (1959.)
  73. Mystery Street.  (1950.)
  74. Blue Velvet.  (1986.)
  75. Chinatown.  (1974.)
  76. Fargo. (1996.)
  77. Dark City.  (1998.)
  78. Niagara.  (1953.)
  79. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  (2005.)
  80. Sorry, Wrong Number.  (1948.)
  81. Mildred Pierce.  (1945.)
  82. Boomerang.  (1947.)
  83. Possessed.  (1947.)
  84. The Enforcer.  (1951.)
  85. Gilda.  (1946.)
  86. Dead Reckoning.  (1947.)
  87. Fallen Angel.  (1945.)
  88. High Sierra.  (1941.)
  89. I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang.  (1932.)
  90. The Blue Gardenia.  (1953.)
  91. Portrait in Black.  (1960.)
  92. Angel Face.  (1952.)
  93. T-Men.  (1947.)
  94. The Big Combo.  (1954.)
  95. House of Bamboo.  (1955.)
  96. The Street With No Name.  (1948.)
  97. Border Incident.  (1949.)
  98. Fury.  (1936.)
  99. Born to Kill.  (1947.)
  100. The Accused.  (1949.)

 

 

 

 

 

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