We all know October is the spiritual home of the Spooky Season due to Halloween but in recent years November has become the month of the year to celebrate the "Film-Noir" genre.
And why not?!
The term "film noir" was coined by French film critic Nino Frank in 1946 and it was then popularised by French film critics Raymond Borde & Etienne Chaumeton in 1955 then spread world wide as the name for this specific genre.
The term literally translates to "black cinema" referring to the shadowy look and bleak and cynical feel of the films.
There is a misconception that Noir films have to be American and Black & White.
What actually makes a film a noir is that the story contains some of the following,
A protagonist or "hero" who is cynical or has a pessimistic outlook on life.
characters who live by a more "existentialist philosophy" questioning the meaning, purpose, and value of one's life. Characters facing an existential crisis, dread or anxiety in the face of a situation they find themselves in.
Plots based around crimes such as confidence tricks, murders, robberies or even just extra marital affairs.
Cinematography that incorporates stark lighting effects.
The heyday of the film noir was immediately after the second world war until the early 1960s then the genre went somewhat out of vogue but noir films were still being made but there was a real revival in the early 1970s. With the rise of the "New Hollywood" directors gravitating towards material with a more cynical, pessimistic vibe.
When the genre came back... the films were in colour and the term "Neo-Noir" was coined.
Neo-Noir isn't really about colour instead of black & white it is about the updating of the genre with the films set in the current time period and embracing contemporary cinematography and visual elements... For example!
Chinatown (1974) is a colour film made in the 1970s but it is a Film-Noir set in 1937 L.A.
The Long Goodbye (1973) is a colour film made in the 1970's and it is a quintessential example of a Neo-Noir. Set in 1970s Hollywood, L.A, Elliott Gould plays the character Philip Marlowe the same private eye that Humphrey Bogart played in The Big Sleep (1946) but The Long Goodbye brings everything bang up to date!
People will disagree with this... but I don't really care.
So If you are new to Noir or Neo-Noir and fancy watching something this Noir-vember!
Here is my 10 recommendations.
"The Third Man" (1949)
Directed by English filmmaker Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli & Orson Welles.
Set in post-World War II Allied-occupied Vienna, the film centres on American writer Holly Martins, who arrives in the city to accept a job with his friend Harry Lime, only to learn that he has died. Martins stays in Vienna to investigate his death.
This film is a total masterpiece!!
To watch this you can stream it on the ITVX streaming service with a subscription.
Or you can rent it online from,
Apple TV or Prime Video for £3.49
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Directed by Hollywood legend Billy Wilder and co-written by Wilder and Charles Brackett. The film stars William Holden,
Gloria Swanson & Erich von Stroheim.
The film tells the story of Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter and Norma Desmond a former silent-film star who draws him into the deranged fantasy world that she lives in facilitated by Max von Mayerling her devoted butler.
One of the best films ever made!
To watch this you can stream it on Paramount+ with a subscription.
Or you can rent it online from,
Apple TV or Prime Video for £3.49
Double Indemnity (1944)
Also directed by Billy Wilder. The film is written by Wilder and detective fiction titan Raymond Chandler adapted from James M. Cain's novel of the same name that was originally published in 1936.
The film follows an insurance salesman who plots with a woman to kill her husband in order to claim a life insurance payment. The title refers to a "double indemnity" clause which doubles life insurance payouts when death occurs in a statistically rare manner.
you can rent this film online from,
Apple TV or Prime Video for £3.49
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
This film is the directorial debut of Hollywood legend John Huston who also wrote the script by adapting the 1930 novel of the same name by author Dashiell Hammett. People mock remakes but this was the third time this story was adapted for the screen since 1931.
Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade a San Francisco based private detective who gets mixed up with three unscrupulous types, all seeking a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette.
Peter Lorre puts in a wonderful performance as the sinister Joel Cairo.
you can rent this film online from,
Apple TV or Prime Video for £3.49
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
This has to be one of the most noir noirs ever. This film was directed by the great actor Charles Laughton and was not only his directorial debut but his only outing as a director. The film is as stunning as it is stark totally panned critically at the time and caused widespread moral panic in mid 50s America the film is now hailed as a stone cold classic.
Robert Mitchum plays Harry "Preacher" Powell a misogynistic serial killer who travels in the guise of a Holly-man along the Ohio River in West Virginia during the Great Depression.
You can stream this movie for free via the app Freevee or with a subscription to Prime Video or you can rent this film online from,
Apple TV or Prime Video for £3.49
Chinatown (1974)
This film has a stunning near perfect screenplay written by Robert Towne and is directed by Roman Polanski (don't let that put you off) Jack Nicholson puts in one of his top five film performances in this noir thriller along side Faye Dunaway. Believe it or not the plot of this film is based on the California water wars, a real life series of disputes over water rights for southern California but the film is a part mystery and part psychological drama.
The role of Noah Cross in this film is played by John Huston who directed The Maltese Falcon (1941)
To watch this you can stream it on Paramount+ with a subscription.
Or you can rent it online from,
Apple TV for £3.49 or Prime Video for £2.99
The Long Goodbye (1973)
The definitive Neo-Noir masterpiece! Directed by one of the leading figures of the "New Hollywood" movement Robert Altman. Written by Leigh Brackett who adapts Raymond Chandler's 1953 novel to be bang up to date.
The film stars Elliott Gould as private detective Philip Marlowe who is asked by his buddy Terry for a ride to Mexico. When Marlowe returns to LA he is questioned by police about the death of Terry's wife. Marlowe remains a suspect until it's reported that Terry has killed himself in Mexico. Marlowe doesn't buy it but he takes a new case from a beautiful blond, who coincidentally has a past with Terry.
You can stream this movie for free via the app Freevee or with a subscription to Prime Video or you can rent this film online from,
Apple TV or Prime Video for £3.49
Thief (1981)
This is a neo-noir heist film written and directed by the great Michael Mann. This is also Mann's feature film debut.
James Caan is "Frank" a professional safe-cracker trying to escape his life of crime. The supporting cast includes Jim Belushi and Willie Nelson. The screenplay is inspired by the memoir
"The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar", by former cat burglar Frank Hohimer.
The musical score comes courtesy of the fantastic Tangerine Dream. This film is incredible!
You can stream this movie for free via the app Freevee or with a subscription to Prime Video or you can rent this film online from,
Apple TV for £3.49
Blow Out (1981)
Brian De Palma's neo-noir mystery thriller is a true masterpiece. The film is a re-imagining of Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film "Blowup" but De Palma changes the protagonist's profession from photographer to sound engineer.
Jack Terry is a movie sound effects technician who, while out recording sounds for a cheap horror film, unintentionally captures audio evidence of an assassination involving a US presidential hopeful.
The cast includes John Travolta, Nancy Allen & John Lithgow. The film's tagline is,
"Murder has a sound all of its own".
To watch this you will need to rent the film via
Apple TV or Prime Video for £2.99
Nightmare Alley (2021)
The contemporary movie maestro Guillermo del Toro adapted William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel of the same name into this beautiful noir psychological thriller that stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara & Ron Perlman.
Down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a travelling carnival. after learning the tricks of their trade, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychologist.
You can watch this on the Disney+ streaming services with a subscription or you can rent the film online from Apple TV or Prime Video for £3.49
Wishing you a... Shadowy? and Cynical? Noir-vember!!
