Best Film Noir Movies

If you’re in the mood to get into film noir, I’ve got a list of the very best film noir movies. Whilst this is not all that film noir has to offer, these ten film noir films are absolutely must-sees

10. Scarface (1932) – Before Al Pacino was known for his Scarface performance, Paul Muni delivered a spectacular portrayal of the character loosely based on the life of Al Capone. This original version was considered the most shocking and powerful gangster film when it was released, setting the standard of screen violence for the Pacino version. If you’ve seen the Pacino Scarface you must see the Muni Scarface as he is just as brilliant. Not only is this a great film noir movie, it is also a great gangster film

9. Citizen Kane (1941) – this movie doesn’t just come up in the list of best film noir films, it is also acclaimed as one of the most influential movies ever made. Newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane utters ‘Rosebud’ (his dying word) and this sets in motion a drama to unfold the meaning of the word. Orson Welles created this masterpiece with use of strong lighting on shadows which hooks your eyes onto the screen having you engaged as the mystery unfolds

8. White Heat (1949) – “Made it ma! Top of the world!” James Cagney is superb playing a psychotic thug devoted to his mother in this classic film noir gangster movie. This movie thrives from the very beginning revealing that Cody (James Cagney) is subject to fits, and has a fixation with his mother, seeing her as the only woman who cares for him. One of my favourite scenes is when Cody, in a prison canteen, receives news of his mother’s death. He goes completely ballistic and has to be carried out as he constantly shrieks. The ending scene is one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history

7. A Place in the Sun (1951) – Montgomery Clift plays a poor boy who heads to the big city to work in his uncle’s factory. There, he fall in love with a poor girl, but also meets a wealthy and beautiful girl played by Elizabeth Taylor. This melodrama is a beauty! Watching the hero get tangled in three fundamental mistakes leading to everyone’s doom is a great change to the Hollywood tradition that sees everyone living ‘happily ever after’ in the end

6. Notorious (1946) – Classic espionage thriller by Alfred Hitchcock (need I say more?). Nothing in this film is disappointing. Hitchcock uses the atmospheric black and white film noir style to make this movie a gem

5. The Big Sleep (1946) – Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made screen history with this popular detective fiction. You may need more than one viewing to understand this film but the lavish film noir style makes it a joy every time

4. Double Indemnity (1944) – this is a movie brew of lust, larceny, lethal intentions, and snappy dialogue – all making this a classic film noir flick. Barbara Stanwyck is the perfect femme fatale!

3. The Third Man (1949) – it’s Orson Welles again! A lot of people consider this to be the best British film ever made. This is a CLASSIC (with capital letters) that sees a man investigating the demise of a friend in a post-war Viennese underground

2. The Maltese Falcon (1941) – this was the movie that propelled Humphrey Bogart into a superb leading man on screen. He plays a detective in search of an elusive black bird statuette while evading the setup of three scoundrels. The sharp talking Bogart is excellent in this classic

1. Sunset Boulevard (1950) – simply superb! Film Noir at its Best! source