Comedy is subjective as it takes different forms in different scenarios. But some of the best films are either dark humor, black wit, or the, best of all, the neo-noir genre. Neo-noir movies can go from unexpected to nastily surprising and leave you flabbergasted.
For those who don’t know precisely what neo-noirs or neo-noir movies are, Neo-noir is a film genre that expands, updates, and subverts the classic film noir genre.
Noir films were an American cinema movement that flourished after World War II in the 1940s and 1950s. During the 1970s, in the era of black and white cinematography, studios began releasing new kinds of neo-noir movies, eventually dubbed neo-noir films or classic noir films.
More About Neo Noir Films
Neo-noir movies are typically fraught with moody, shadowy characters and themes of revenge. They often have a gritty or dark feel that is mirrored by the urban setting in which they take place.
Over time, neo-noirs have gained a boost in terms of their number of viewers and popularity. Now neo-noir films have become one of the most popular and most-watched genres. There are no clichéd plots, easy laughs, or slapstick jokes.
With time neo-noir cinema and the dark themes related to it are the ones that have evolved the most. The kind of pure noir and feature film is what the audience enjoys the most. Now, most films that are made are neo-noir ones.
The idea is to make heavy concepts look funny such as science fiction, detective stories, crime drama, related topics such as serial killers, crisis, mortality, crime, and anything one would never ideally associate with humor.
That’s the sheer brilliance of the noir genre. When we realize that the people presenting jokes to us are actually in on the joke, the entire context changes; rather than needing to critique unacceptable behavior, we can recognize the ridiculousness of the behaviors, actions, or happenings and laugh at them.
Many filmmakers have made critically successful and well-received best neo-noir movies, won many accolades for their work, and successfully challenged dark humor. As said earlier, neo-noir movies have gained an unexpected boost over time.
So, we are here to discuss the top 20 neo-noir films, out of which many films have gained worldwide popularity. For all the film noir fans out there, this article will be a treat for you all. To know about such top film noir, keep reading the article till the end.
20) Chinatown (1974)
- Director: Roman Polanski
- Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, John Huston
- IMDb: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Starting with the best-known film noir of all time, Chinatown was released in 1974 and proved to be a great hit as soon as it was released.
Talking about the film’s plot, the film’s main character is Mrs. Mulwary. She hires a detective named Jake, who is specialized in matrimonial cases and is a femme fatale specialist. Mrs. Murray hires this femme fatale to spy on her husband. But Detective Jake falls into unexpected trouble when Mr. Mulwray dies.
19) Taxi Driver (1976)
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Cast: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle
- IMDb: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Many of you must already know about this banger which stars the very talented Robert Downey Jr. This famous movie is named taxi driver, released in 1976.
Coming onto the film’s plot, the movie’s story revolves around a character known as Travis. Travis is an ex-marine and Vietnam veteran who works as a taxi driver in New York City to earn some extra living.
But one day, when he sees a woman in danger and learns about her work as a prostitute, he decides to save the underage prostitute from her pimp to clean the city of its corruption.
18) Mulholland Drive (2001)
- Director: David Lynch
- Cast: Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux, Laura Elena Harring, Ann Miller, Robert Forster
- IMDb: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Going on to the next movie on this list, there is this film named Mulholland Drive which was released back on June 6, 2001.
The movie revolves around two girls, namely Rita and Betty. Rita is a dark-haired amnesiac who has recently moved to Los Angeles to try her hands at the world of Hollywood and is an aspiring actress.
And the second one is Betty, who is a perky blonde actress. Despite being opposites of each other in terms of looks, they both team up when they learn about a girl named Rita and her accident. Their main motive behind teaming up is to find clues about Rita’s accident and ascertain her true identity.
17) Drive (2011)
- Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
- Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks
- IMDb: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
Next up, we have another fantastic movie on the list whose all of the artists have done exceptionally exceptional performances. The movie made its way on the big screen on September 30, 2011, and is based on a novel of the same name James Sallis wrote.
This film crafts a fantastic story in which a stuntman who is also a getaway driver falls in love with Irene. But Irene is already married, and that too with a criminal.
As he is in love with Irene from head to toe, he abides in protecting her from her husband and some gangsters, and therefore he decides to cross over to the other side of the law for Irene.
16) Mystic River (2003)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney
- IMDb: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Where to watch: Netflix
The next film that we have is a very amazing one which is an adaptation of a novel of the same name written by Dennis Lehane. This very famous novelist also wrote Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island. The film was released on October 3, 2003.
The story of this film is about Sean, a police officer. After the death of Jimmy’s daughter, Katie, Sean takes charge of investigating her murder, leading him to a crime that occurred twenty-five years ago.
15) Se7en (1995)
- Director: David Fincher
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. McGinley
- IMDb: 8.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
The next movie is exciting and is a treat for all serial killer theme lovers. This movie is named Se7en, which can also be pronounced as Seven. The film was released back on September 22, 1995.
The movie revolves around a serial killer who begins murdering people by getting inspired by the seven deadly sins. Two detectives, one who is about to retire and another who just moved to the city, decide to solve this mystery and bring justice to everybody.
14) Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Cast: John Travolta, Samuel Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel
- IMDb: 8.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
- Where to watch: Netflix
Pulp Fiction is a one-of-a-kind crime movie made in other genres, such as comedy, which is one of Tarantino’s finest. In the underworld, a series of incidents intertwines the lives of two Los Angeles mobsters, a gangster’s wife, a boxer, and two small-time criminals.
The film follows a non-linear narrative, making the audience put the pieces together. The film also has long conversations with each character sharing perspectives on different subjects and features homages and pop culture references.
Tarantino won his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay Academy Award for Pulp Fiction. It also won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay.
A studio reportedly turned down the script for Pulp Fiction before Miramax decided to fund the film. Nevertheless, pulp Fiction remains one of the highest-grossing and most financially successful films. Pulp Fiction earned more than $200 million at the box office against an $8 million budget.
13) Sin City (2005)
- Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
- Cast: John Travolta, Samuel Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel
- IMDb: 8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Sin City is an exceptionally brilliant movie released on April 1, 2005. The film is based on a novel of the same name, a Frank Miller graphic series.
Talking about the movie’s plot, the film is based on the lives of four different individuals. But those four individuals cross paths when they try to solve their problems and fight violence and corruption in the wretched town of Basin City, Washington.
12) Fargo (1996)
- Director: Joel Coen
- Cast: Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Where to watch: Netflix
A car salesman hires two men to have his wife kidnapped to get a ransom from her wealthy father. However, things do not go as planned, which leads to some homicides, which attract the attention of a police chief who is pregnant.
The film was nominated for the Oscar nomination and won two Oscars for Best Actress (for McDormand) and Best Original Screenplay in 1997. It is especially famous for its witty dialogue. It is directed by Joel Coen, one of the famous Coen brothers.
Fargo also spawned a television series in 2014 after the film and referenced the movie in many episodes. The American Film Institute named Fargo one of the 100 greatest films in history. Also, it is one of the most significant makes of the Coen brothers.
11) The Dark Knight (2008)
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal
- IMDb: 9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
A part of the very famous dark knight franchise developed with very impressive dark themes; this movie is a well-known neo-noir film named The Dark Knight.
The movie got released on July 18, 2008. Many of you must already know the story, which revolves around a prominent character Joker. Joker is a psychopathic criminal mastermind.
After Gordon, Dent, and Batman begin an assault on Gotham’s organized crime, the mobs hire the Joker, a psychopathic criminal mastermind who offers to kill Batman and bring the city to its knees.
10) Pig (2021)
- Director: Michael Sarnoski
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin
- IMDb: 6.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu
Quite a weird name, right? This movie has a unique name, released just a year back, on July 16, 2021. As the name suggests, the story is about a man whose very beloved pig gets stolen by someone. The man lives alone in the Oregon wilderness and works as a truffle hunter.
He returns to Portland when his loving pig gets stolen by someone to find the person who stole the beloved pig. Unfortunately, the film is made so that it keeps the audience guessing about the accused until the end.
9) Blow Out (1981)
- Director: Brian De Palma
- Cast: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
This movie is one of the best neo-noir films, which is made under the direction of the very talented Brian De Palma with some aspects which are very different than the usual suspects.
The movie’s story is exciting and revolves around a character named Jack Terri, a private investigator. While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terri stumbles upon a real-life horror incident where a car was seen careening off a bridge and into a river.
Jack jumps into the water, fishes out, and saves Sally from the car, but the other passenger is already dead; who does a governor intend to run for president. As Jack does some investigating of his tapes and starts a dangerous romance with Sally, he enters a tangled web of conspiracy that is a threat to his life and might leave him dead.
8) Blade Runner (1982)
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
The next movie we have is Blade Runner, released a long time back on June 25, 1982, but it is the best neo-noir film.
Talking about the story tells us the story of Rick Deckard, who is an ex-policeman. He becomes a special agent with a mission to exterminate a group of violent androids. However, as he starts getting deeper into his mission, he gets confused and questions his identity.
7) Gone Baby Gone (2007)
- Director: Ben Affleck
- Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan
- IMDb: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
If you are looking forward to a blend of crime drama and a neo-noir film, Gone Baby Gone is a perfect choice. The movie was released on October 19, 2007, and is based on a novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.
The story is about a girl named Amanda, who is a four-year-old girl and suddenly goes missing. After missing her aunt, Beatrice hires two detectives, Angie and Patrick, to trace her. However, the duo encounters pedophiles, gangs, and drug dealers during their search operations.
6) The Brothers Bloom (2008)
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Maximilian Schell, Robbie Coltrane
- IMDb: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Vudu
A perfect combination of romance and crime, this fantastic movie named The Brothers Bloom was released on July 10, 2009, and was a great success as soon as it was released.
Talking about the story, as the name suggests, the movie is about two brothers named Stephen and Bloom, who are also the world’s most successful con men. But one day, Bloom wants to be out of the business. So Stephen convinces him to pull off one last job, an eccentric East Coast heiress Penelope.
5) Memento (2001)
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
- IMDb: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
A spectacular movie that leaves its viewers in awe with its story and fantastic screenplay. The movie was released on March 16, 2001, and is based on a short story named Memento Mori, which Jonathan Nolan wrote.
It tells us the story of Leonard Shelby, an insurance investigator who suffers from anterograde amnesia. He sets on a mission to find out the man who attempted his wife’s murder and uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife, which is the last thing he remembers.
4) Body Heat (1981)
- Director: Lawrence Kasdan
- Cast: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
The next movie on our list is Body Heat, released on August 28, 1981. The movie’s story revolves around Shyster lawyer Ned Racine who begins a passionate affair with Matty Walker, who is already married, and the wife of a wealthy Florida businessman.
With the help of one of his criminal clients, a bomb-maker named Teddy Lewis, Ned hatches a scheme to kill Matty’s husband so that they can run away together with his money. But complications build upon double-crosses, launching the hapless lawyer into a situation far more treacherous than he imagined.
3) Road to Perdition (2002)
- Director: Sam Mendes
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig
- IMDb: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
- Where to watch: Netflix, Disney+
Road to Perdition is a movie that made its super name on the big screen as soon as it was released. It was released on July 12, 2002.
In the film, an assassin is on the run after his son witnesses a murder committed by his boss. Furthermore, he is torn between being loyal to his boss and saving his child.
2) Harper (1966)
- Director: Jack Smight
- Cast: Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Julie Harris, Arthur Hill, Janet Leigh
- IMDb: 6.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Another banger that made a great space in the hearts of its viewers as soon as it was released is Harper, which was released on February 23, 1966.
The story is about Lew Harper, who is a private eye that is a private detective. A wealthy California matron hires him to find her missing husband. Moreover, along the way, he gets involved with many unsavory characters and an illegal-alien smuggling ring.
1) The Drowning Pool (1975)
- Director: Stuart Rosenberg
- Cast: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna
- IMDb: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 53%
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Last but not least, we will end this list with the famous movie The Drowning Pool, which was released on June 25, 1975. It is based on a mystery novel that was published back in 1950 and which was written by Ross Macdonald.
The film’s story is about Harper, who was brought to Louisiana Bayou country to investigate an attempted blackmail scheme. He soon finds out it involves an old flame of his and her hellion of a daughter.
