Texaggie7nine said:

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Avengers End Game

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Forrest Gump is my favorite Noir film

I think the setting matters also. There's usually some kind of 'nothing we do really matters because this city/society is ****ed anyway' kind of feel to noir films.

No love for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang?

OldShadeOfBlue said:

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Bruce Almighty said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Can anyone concisely define what makes a movie a noir movie?

I've read the wiki page multiple times but never walk away with a clearer way of explaining it.

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It's hard to define, but you know it when you see it.

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I'm not sure if I understand it completely but a consistent theme I've seen across these movies listed (that I've watched) is the more or less "who done it" mixed with a somewhat troubled protagonist. Like, mystery/suspense. With that said, would Shutter Island be considered noir?

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It's not just a plot, but a style. Dark shadows, low key lighting, weird camera angles. Noir became much more stylized in the 80s, almost to the point of parody starting with Blade Runner and continued through the early 2000s. We don't see it much today.

OldShadeOfBlue said:

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Texaggie7nine said:

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Avengers End Game

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Forrest Gump is my favorite Noir film

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You didn't follow Google's definition. I did.

Quote:

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a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace.

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MROD92 said:

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No love for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang?

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Underrated movie. Not sure it has the style elements Bruce talked about, but it's fun if you've read detective novels. A little campy though.

For that matter, if we're talking plot elements and not visual style, Baby Driver is like a Richard Stark story except the secondary character becomes the protagonist.

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With that said, would Shutter Island be considered noir?

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Not a bad thought. I like it. If wikipedia is right, Lehane was drawing on some classic pulp influences.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is definitely noir, though more in the tradition of 40's noir than the ultra stylized 90s noir.

My FIL got me hooked on TCM's Noir Alley on Saturday nights if anyone needs a weekly fix.

Double Indemnity is my all time favorite. Stanwick is outstanding! I have the last few weeks worth on DVR, including Asphalt Jungle with Marilyn Monroe but haven't had time to watch them all. Woman On The Run is next on my list.

Bruce Almighty said:

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Classic: Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, The Third Man, Touch of Evil, Kiss Me Deadly, Out of the Past, Detour

Neo Noir: Chinatown, LA Confidential, Mulholland Drive, Usual Suspects, Seven, Sin City, Body Heat, Blood Simple, Batman, Fight Club

Tech Noir: blade Runner, Terminator, The Crow, Dark City, Minority Report, The Matrix, Akira, Ghost in the Shell

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Fun fact: the dance club in Terminator where Sarah Conner, Kyle Reese, and Arnie all cross paths for the first time is called Tech Noir

Yeah, I know, it's on Pico.

Ah **** it this scene is too damn awesome to not post now...

From the comments: "the bottle that saved humanity"

4lilmonkeys said:

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My FIL got me hooked on TCM's Noir Alley on Saturday nights if anyone needs a weekly fix.

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I didn't know they were still doing that. Thanks.

https://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html

website about the genre with a great list of movies.

How about Keanu Reeves' Constantine? I like that one and it seems to fit a noir theme.

DanHo2010 said:

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The Third Man is maybe my favorite movie of all time. I never get tired of watching it.

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On Netflix right now. Unlikely it's popping up on anybody's trending now list.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Can anyone concisely define what makes a movie a noir movie?

I've read the wiki page multiple times but never walk away with a clearer way of explaining it.

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There are a few parts to it, typically.

• It was born from the Depression, WWII, and the nuclear threat, so it generally has a darker tone, both in visuals and story (where the name comes from)
• There's a male protagonist who is either down on his luck or not necessarily a good person or just kind of a loser, and typically a femme fatale who knows much more than she's letting on and is using her sex appeal to manipulate the protagonist.
• The genre typically falls within drama/mystery/thriller, and the pacing tends to be on the slower side. It's more about revealing the mystery than any kind of action.
• The ending is always either a downer or a mixed bag. You're not going to find a happy ending in a noir film.

Watch a few and you'll see the themes emerging:

• Double Indemnity
• The Big Sleep
• The Postman Always Rings Twice
• Sunset Boulevard
• The Third Man

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

the website i linked mentioned some other more modern film noir:

Taxi Driver
The Unforgiven
Klute
Dirty Harry
American Gigolo
Raging Bull
Blood Simple
Blue Velvet
Fatal Attraction
No Way Out
Barton Fink
Basic Instinct
Glengarry Glen Ross
Reservoir Dogs
Red Rock West
The Departed
Fargo
Body Heat