Blu-ray.com Community Top 50 FILMS NOIR

[Juels Winnfield]

Welcome to the Blu-ray.com Community Top 50 Films Noir!

A lot of lists are dominating the forums this week, but the most revered genre of all has been put on the backburner...film noir. Some say it can't be classified as a genre but, chances are, one of your favorite films is possibly considered noir as it is a cross of several genres.

A little background:
Oxford Dictionaries defines film noir as "a style or genre of cinematograpic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism and menace." It has also been said that a film is noir if, upon viewing, you point, and say "that's film noir!" There are several types of film noirs, ranging from proto-noirs to classic noirs to neo-noirs. Characteristics identifying these films include low-key lighting, voiceovers, narrative flashbacks, the private eye and the femme fatale involved in a crime.

What counts:
It's easy to throw in films that many will agree don't belong, so this list will be less strict than others on this. For example, some consider Alien a neo-noir, whereas most will argue whether it's more sci-fi or horror. I would be one of the latter. Use good judgment and consider how good of an example of a noir any films in question are compared to how good of a (insert genre here) film it is.

The challenge for true fans is to figure out what's better: your #1 or #2 classic noir or your #1 or #2 neo-noir. This is why it's top 50 and not 25 to include everyone's favorite. Don't let your head explode just have fun.


Point system:
#1 50 points
#2 45 points
#3 40 points
#4 35 points
#5 30 points
#6 25 points
#7 20 points
#8-25 19-2 points
#26 and below 1 point

List at least 25 to give both classic noirs and neo-noirs a chance. We'll do through Mother's Day, May 14, as it is a difficult one. Now to make my own list...

[Rodney-2187]

1. Blade Runner
2. The Maltese Falcon
3. L.A. Confidential
4. The Asphalt Jungle
5. The Sweet Smell of Success
...............
6. Union Station
7. Appointment With Danger
8. Kansas City Confidential
9. Kiss Me Deadly
10. Thief
...............
11. The Woman in the Window
12. The Stranger
13. The Third Man
14. Chinatown
15. The Man Who Wasn't There
...............
16. The Night of the Hunter
17. Sin City
18. Key Largo
19. Scarlet Street
20. The Killers (1946)
...............
21. The Big Sleep
22. Out of the Past
23. The Naked City
24. The Killing
25. Where the Sidewalk Ends

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Possibly my favorite genre. This was an extremely tough list to do, maybe the hardest yet next to the Crime film thread. If there are any that don't count just let me know.

1. Chinatown
2. Pulp Fiction
3. L.A. Confidential
4. Taxi Driver
5. Drive
6. To Live and Die in L.A.
7. Out of the Past
8. The Big Heat
9. Bad Boys (1983)
10. At Close Range
11. Heat (1995)
12. Body Heat
13. John Wick
14. John Wick Chapter 2
15. In a Lonely Place
16. American Gangster
17. True Romance
18. Internal Affairs (1990)
19. Road to Perdition
20. Jackie Brown
21. No Country for Old Men
22. Dirty Harry
23. Fight Club
24. Reservoir Dogs
25. New Jack City
26. Zodiac
27. The Counselor
28. Basic Instinct
29. The Driver
30. Experiment in Terror
31. The French Connection
32. Primal Fear
33. Running Scared (2006)
34. The American
35. The Last Boy Scout
36. Raging Bull
37. The Asphalt Jungle
38. Wild Things
39. Bound
40. Training Day
41. Blue Velvet
42. Layer Cake
43. Mulholland Dr
44. Mean Streets
45. Dark Blue
46. U Turn
47. White Heat
48. Kiss of Death (1947)
49. The Killing
50. Tightrope

[Juels Winnfield]

Originally Posted by rodneyfaile

1. Blade Runner

Nice first #1 vote. Just watched the theatrical cut last night.

[The Great Owl]

My favorite movie genre!

The Great Owl's Top 50 Films Noir...

1. Out of the Past (1947)
2. Double Indemnity (1944)
3. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
4. In a Lonely Place (1951)
5. Detour (1945)
6. Criss Cross (1949)
7. The Big Heat (1953)
8. The Big Sleep (1946)
9. The Third Man (1949)
10. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
11. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
12. Private Hell 36 (1954)
13. On Dangerous Ground (1951)
14. Act of Violence (1948)
15. The Killers (1946)
16. Night and the City (1950)
17. Nightmare Alley (1947)
18. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
19. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
20. Ace in the Hole (1951)
21. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
22. Murder, My Sweet (1944)
23. Pitfall (1948)
24. The Lady from Shanghai (1948)
25. The Killing (1956)
26. The Prowler (1950)
27. Laura (1944)
28. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
29. Touch of Evil (1958)
30. Too Late for Tears (1949)
31. Scarlet Street (1945)
32. Raw Deal (1948)
33. Gun Crazy (1950)
34. D.O.A. (1950)
35. Ministry of Fear (1944)
36. The Big Combo (1955)
37. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
38. City That Never Sleeps (1953)
39. Kansas City Confidential (1952)
40. Road House (1948)
41. Decoy (1946)
42. The Narrow Margin (1952)
43. Pickup on South Street (1953)
44. The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
45. The Scar (Hollow Triumph) (1948)
46. Crashout (1955)
47. Hell's Half Acre (1954)
48. The Woman in the Window (1944)
49. Kiss of Death (1947)
50. The Set-Up (1949)


Just to keep myself sane, I limited my choices to the classic film noir era of the 1940s and 1950s.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

My favorite movie genre!

The Great Owl's Top 50 Films Noir...

1. Out of the Past (1947)
2. Double Indemnity (1944)
3. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
4. In a Lonely Place (1951)
5. Detour (1945)
6. Criss Cross (1949)
7. The Big Heat (1953)
8. The Big Sleep (1946)
9. The Third Man (1949)
10. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
11. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
12. Private Hell 36 (1954)
13. On Dangerous Ground (1951)
14. Act of Violence (1948)
15. The Killers (1946)
16. Night and the City (1950)
17. Nightmare Alley (1947)
18. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
19. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
20. Ace in the Hole (1951)
21. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
22. Murder, My Sweet (1944)
23. Pitfall (1948)
24. The Lady from Shanghai (1948)
25. The Killing (1956)
26. The Prowler (1950)
27. Laura (1944)
28. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
29. Touch of Evil (1958)
30. Too Late for Tears (1949)
31. Scarlet Street (1945)
32. Raw Deal (1948)
33. Gun Crazy (1950)
34. D.O.A. (1950)
35. Ministry of Fear (1944)
36. The Big Combo (1955)
37. City That Never Sleeps (1953)
38. Kansas City Confidential (1952)
39. Notorious (1946)
40. Decoy (1946)
41. The Narrow Margin (1952)
42. Pickup on South Street (1953)
43. The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
44. The Scar (Hollow Triumph) (1948)
45. Crashout (1955)
46. Hell's Half Acre (1954)
47. The Woman in the Window (1944)
48. Dark Passage (1947)
49. The Set-Up (1949)
50. Crossfire (1947)

Just to keep myself sane, I limited my choices to the classic film noir era of the 1940s and 1950s.

I get that... but no list is complete without CHINATOWN and BODY HEAT.......

[principehomura]

Uuuuh, will totally do this one, but I hope noone will double check the positions with the crime movie list.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by principehomura

Uuuuh, will totally do this one, but I hope noone will double check the positions with the crime movie list.

If I understood your post right there can be certain films in your crime films list that are also considered film noir/neo noir as well.

[principehomura]

No I mean that by making a new list, maybe I'll put here "film A" higher than than "film B", while in the crime movie list "film B" was higher :P

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by principehomura

No I mean that by making a new list, maybe I'll put here "film A" higher than than "film B", while in the crime movie list "film B" was higher :P

Oh ok I gotcha

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

I get that... but no list is complete without CHINATOWN and BODY HEAT.......

I completely agree. It's everyone's own opinions anyways but Chinatown is the King Daddy film noir for me. However, as outstanding of a masterpiece as Body Heat is, it is very influenced by some older film noirs that Owl has on his list such as Double Indemnity being a big one from what I've heard so I can see why he might not include Body Heat. I haven't seen Double Indemnity yet though.

[Gerby]

01. The Big Sleep (1946)
02. Un Temoin Dans La Ville (1959)
03. Double Indemnity (1944)
04. Leave Her To Heaven (1945)
05. Chinatown (1974)
06. In A Lonely Place (1950)
07. Woman In The Window (1944)
08. Gilda (1946)
09. Out Of The Past (1944)
10. Laura (1944)
11. The Late Show (1977)
12. Le Samourai (1967)
13. Blue Velvet (1986)
14. D.O.A (1950)
15. Blood Simple (1984)
16. Night Moves (1975)
17. Rififi (1955)
18. Detour (1945)
19. The Big Combo (1955)
20. The Big Heat (1953)
21. Criss Cross (1949)
22. Night & The City (1950)
23. Nightmare Alley (1947)
24. The Killers (1946)
25. Night Of The Hunter (1955)
26. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
27. Kiss Of Death (1947)
28. The Killing (1956)
29. The Phantom Lady (1944)
30. Act Of Violence (1948)
31. The Third Man (1949)
32. L.A Confidential (1997)
33. Quicksand (1950)
34. Cry Danger (1951)
35. Raw Deal (1948)
36. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)
37. The Narrow Margin (1952)
38. Touch Of Evil (1958)
39. After Dark, My Sweet (1990)
40. Obsession (1949)
41. Tension (1949)
42. Memento (2000)
43. Force Of Evil (1948)
44. Sudden Fear (1952)
45. Red Rock West (1993)
46. The Long Goodbye (1973)
47. Impact (1949)
48. Elevator To The Gallows (1958)
49. Voici Le Temps Des Assassins (1956)
50. The Hot Spot (1990)

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

I get that... but no list is complete without CHINATOWN and BODY HEAT.......

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

I completely agree. It's everyone's own opinions anyways but Chinatown is the King Daddy film noir for me. However, as outstanding of a masterpiece as Body Heat is, it is very influenced by some older film noirs that Owl has on his list such as Double Indemnity being a big one from what I've heard so I can see why he might not include Body Heat. I haven't seen Double Indemnity yet though.

One reason why I did not include neo-noir titles on my list is because that would have opened the floodgates. I could have easily made up a list of Top 50 neo-noir titles that were released after 1958.

Body Heat and Chinatown would both be featured prominently in the top five of my favorite neo-noir movies, though.
I also would have included Sharky's Machine, Blade Runner, Le Samouraï, Le Cercle Rouge, Point Blank, Pale Flower, Night Moves, Blood Simple, 10 to Midnight, No Country for Old Men, and many many others.

As is, though, my Top 50 Films Noir list was specifically geared not only towards 1940s/1950s films noir titles, but also to the pure noir titles with a distinct "This will not end well." vibe to them. I even avoided some great sci-fi noir (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) and horror noir (The Seventh Victim), just to keep things simple.

[Hoke Moseley]

Might bump this up to 50 before the deadline, but for now...

1. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
2. Rififi (1955)
3. White Heat (1949)
4. Out of the Past (1947)
5. Le Samourai (1967)
6. The Killers (1946)
7. The Big Sleep (1946)
8. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
9. The Killing (1956)
10. The Set-Up (1949)
11. Double Indemnity (1944)
12. Night and the City (1950)
13. The Long Goodbye (1973)
14. Chinatown (1974)
15. Mildred Pierce (1945)
16. Elevator to the Gallows (1958)
17. Criss Cross (1949)
18. Key Largo (1948)
19. Ride the Pink Horse (1947)
20. The Last Seduction (1994)
21. Brute Force (1947)
22. Body Heat (1981)
23. Panic in the Streets (1950)
24. Red Rock West (1993)
25. The Racket (1951)

[Juels Winnfield]

Originally Posted by esteban²

[Reserved]

Quick question : Is Zootopia allowed? That one is heavily inspired by movies like L.A. Confidential and Chinatown. As confirmed by the makers, it sure feels like one too.

To be honest, I couldn't tell you. I have never seen it. I haven't read enough information on it to classify it as such. Films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? are considered noir to me because of the influence of noir films on them. I wouldn't put it in my top 50 because I could think of 100 films that are better noirs than WFRR. Another reason I encourage more entries from voters to compensate for outliers. I'm sure I have a few on my list as well

[Juels Winnfield]

Originally Posted by principehomura

No I mean that by making a new list, maybe I'll put here "film A" higher than than "film B", while in the crime movie list "film B" was higher :P

No worries, I have a few on my list that would be higher on a crime film list.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Hey Juels, what movie is that black and white clip from on the welcome post? Looks very interesting. Not sure if I've seen it but I want to.

[jabbercash]

1. Vertigo
2. L.A. Confidential
3. Mulholland Dr.
4. Blue Velvet
5. Sunset Boulevard
6. Touch of Evil
7. Chinatown
8. Strangers on a Train
9. The Man Who Wasn't There
10. The Maltese Falcon
11. The Long Goodbye
12. Memento
13. Breathless
14. Drive
15. The Killing
16. White Heat
17. Red Rock West
18. Inherent Vice
19. The Big Sleep
20. Dressed to Kill
21. Basic Instinct

That's all I got for now.

[djrobchampion]

1. Se7en
2. Memento
3. Strangers On A Train
4. Dark City
5. Chinatown
6. Sunset Boulevard
7. Blade Runner
8. Sin City
9. Brick
10. L.A. Confidential

[Juels Winnfield]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

Hey Juels, what movie is that black and white clip from on the welcome post? Looks very interesting. Not sure if I've seen it but I want to.

I believe the first is from To Have and Have Not (not considered noir by most) and the last is from Murder My Sweet