30 Best Film Noir Movies From the Classic Era (1941–1958)
Thirty essential noirs from the classic period, from private-eye mysteries to heist films and B-picture gems, with a line on each and a suggested first five.
The classic film noir period runs roughly from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. These thirty films are among the most admired film noir movies of that era, chosen to cover detectives, femme fatales, heists, ordinary men in trouble and the low-budget B noirs that took the most risks. New to the style? Read what is film noir first.
Private eyes and detectives
- The Maltese Falcon (1941): Sam Spade and a statuette everyone wants; often called the first great noir.
- Murder, My Sweet (1944): Philip Marlowe in a fog of double-crosses.
- Laura (1944): a detective falls for a murdered woman's portrait.
- The Big Sleep (1946): famously tangled plot, famous chemistry.
- Out of the Past (1947): a man cannot escape his past or the woman in it.
- The Big Heat (1953): a cop's crusade against a crime syndicate.
- Kiss Me Deadly (1955): a brutal Mike Hammer story with an apocalyptic box.
Femme fatales and doomed men
- Double Indemnity (1944): an insurance murder plot; the model for many noirs that followed.
- Scarlet Street (1945): a meek painter destroyed by desire.
- Mildred Pierce (1945): a mother, a daughter and a murder.
- The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946): lovers plot against a husband.
- Gilda (1946): a glamorous triangle in Buenos Aires.
- The Lady from Shanghai (1947): with its hall-of-mirrors finale.
Ordinary people, bad luck
- Detour (1945): a hitchhiker's nightmare made for almost nothing.
- The Killers (1946): why did the Swede wait for his killers?
- D.O.A. (1950): a poisoned man investigates his own murder.
- Sunset Boulevard (1950): a writer, a fading star and Hollywood's dark side.
- In a Lonely Place (1950): a screenwriter suspected of murder.
- Ace in the Hole (1951): a reporter exploits a man trapped in a cave.
Heists and gangsters
- White Heat (1949): "Top of the world!"
- Gun Crazy (1950): lovers on a crime spree; a B-picture masterpiece.
- The Asphalt Jungle (1950): a jewel robbery and the crew who pull it off.
- The Killing (1956): a racetrack heist told out of order.
City streets and outsiders
- The Naked City (1948): shot on the real streets of New York.
- The Third Man (1949): postwar Vienna, zither music and a famous entrance.
- Night and the City (1950): a hustler in London's underworld.
- Pickup on South Street (1953): a pickpocket lifts the wrong wallet.
- The Night of the Hunter (1955): a preacher with LOVE and HATE tattooed on his hands.
- Sweet Smell of Success (1957): Broadway columnists and dirty tricks.
- Touch of Evil (1958): a border town and a corrupt cop; often seen as the end of the classic era.
Where to start: a first five
| Film | Why first |
|---|---|
| Double Indemnity | The textbook noir: narration, femme fatale, doom |
| The Maltese Falcon | The private-eye template |
| Out of the Past | The most noir mood of all |
| Gun Crazy | Proof that B noirs could be brilliant |
| Touch of Evil | The style pushed to its limit |
A note on film noir posters
Classic noir posters, with painted femme fatales, dramatic type and shadowy cityscapes, are prized by collectors. Original theatrical posters can be valuable; reproductions are widely available. When buying, ask whether a poster is an original release, a later re-release or a reprint.
Noir grew out of the studio system; see the golden age of Hollywood and, for low-budget noirs, what is a B-movie.
Questions
What is the best film noir of all time?
Double Indemnity (1944) is the most common answer, with The Maltese Falcon, Out of the Past and Touch of Evil close behind.
What was the first film noir?
There is no agreed first, but The Maltese Falcon (1941) is often named as the start of the classic cycle.
What was the last classic film noir?
Touch of Evil (1958) is often seen as the closing film of the classic period.
Are there film noirs in color?
A few classic-era films are, but noir is mostly black and white. Later color films in the style are called neo-noir.
