A great crime thriller, one of the best action movies turning 30 in 2025, Michael Mann’s Heat is perhaps the finest neo-noir film in existence, but there are other movies in the genre that deserve attention. While Heat deconstructs the mysticism that hangs over the genre, the 1941 film The Maltese Falcon, starring Humphrey Bogart, is often considered to be the first noir film, marked by a cynical interpretation of the crime thriller genre. In fact, many of the great crime movies where the villain wins in the end, made today, are inspired by classic noir films.
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The blending of noir sensibilities with other genres yields fascinating results, like drama films that verge on becoming horror, because a certain sense of doom and immorality takes it over. The neo-noir genre’s popularity today proves that the concepts introduced by noir filmmaking are always in demand. This is why some classic movies like Sunset Boulevard and Double Indemnity have never been forgotten. However, many great noir films from the ’40s and ’50s have become obscure today and deserve to be seen even today.
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10
The House on 92nd Street (1945)
Directed by Henry Hathaway
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The House on 92nd Street
Drama
Action
Thriller
Crime
Release Date
September 10, 1945
Runtime
88 minutes
Director
Henry Hathaway
The House on 92nd Street is a 1945 film focusing on a covert operation by the U.S. government to uncover Nazi spies operating within the United States. The film blends elements of thriller and espionage as agents work to infiltrate and dismantle the network.
Cast
Lloyd Nolan, William Eythe, Signe Hasso, Gene Lockhart, Leo G. Carroll, Lydia St. Clair, William Post Jr., Harry Bellaver, Reed Hadley, Kenneth Konopka, Bruno Wick, Harro Meller, Charles Wagenheim, Alfred Linder, Renee Carson, Jack McKee, Rusty Lane
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Writers
Barré Lyndon, Charles G. Booth
Producers
Louis De Rochemont
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One of character actor Lloyd Nolan’s most underrated movies, The House on 92nd Street is a docudrama spy thriller set during the Second World War, that also doubles as a noir movie. It tells the story of US government officials as they attempt to track down and incarcerate Nazi spies hiding in the nation. It even features a cameo by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, which makes it apparent that the movie will feel like FBI propaganda.
The House on 92nd Street is an interesting film worth watching as it is an interesting cross between noir thriller and a documentary as well.
The use of noir genre conventions to tell the story of espionage is an interesting choice as it leads to a relatively dull thriller. The slow-burn isn’t the most effective style of telling such a story. However, The House on 92nd Street is an interesting film worth watching as it is an interesting cross between noir thriller and a documentary as well. Moreover, it features surprisingly amazing performances from a lesser-known cast of actors. So, despite the obvious propaganda on display, it’s worth checking out as one of the first World War 2 movies ever.
9
Kiss of Death (1947)
Directed by Henry Hathaway
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Kiss of Death
NR
Crime
Thriller
Release Date
August 27, 1947
Runtime
99 Minutes
Director
Henry Hathaway
Kiss of Death (1947) is a film noir directed by Henry Hathaway, featuring Victor Mature as Nick Bianco, a small-time crook who cooperates with the authorities to secure a better life for his daughters. Richard Widmark’s portrayal of the menacing Tommy Udo marks his debut and has since become iconic. The film explores themes of redemption and crime, set against the backdrop of post-war New York City.
Cast
Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, Coleen Gray, Richard Widmark, Taylor Holmes
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Writers
Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer
Studio(s)
20th Century Fox
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It is very rare for an actor to win an Academy Award nomination for their very first feature film acting role. One of the few men who can boast of this achievement is Richard Widmark, whose performance as Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death was critically acclaimed when it came out. Udo is a psychopathic killer, and Widmark is said to have been inspired by the character Joker from the Batman comics for his Golden Globe-winning performance.
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Kiss of Death tells the story of Nick Bianco (Victor Mature), who becomes an informant for the police after his wife dies, and he loses his faith in his fellow gang members. Mature’s performance as the jaded protagonist who keeps going back and forth over his decisions is compelling too, but Widmark steals the show in his supporting role. The film was later remade in the ’90s and starred Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, and David Caruso. Despite retaining the crime plot, the remake doesn’t have Udo’s character.
8
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
Directed by Lewis Milestone
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The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers
Unrated
Film Noir
Drama
Romance
Release Date
September 13, 1946
Runtime
116 Minutes
Director
Lewis Milestone
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is a 1946 film noir directed by Lewis Milestone. It stars Barbara Stanwyck as Martha, a wealthy and ambitious woman entangled in a web of deceit and crime. Van Heflin stars as her childhood friend, whose reappearance brings buried secrets to the surface, while Kirk Douglas makes his film debut as Martha’s husband. The film explores themes of power, corruption, and the consequences of past actions.
Cast
Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Judith Anderson, Roman Bohnen, Darryl Hickman, Janis Wilson
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Writers
Robert Rossen, John Patrick, Robert Riskin
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It is sad that The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is such an underrated film today. It was a critically acclaimed film when it came out, and it was nominated for an Academy Award as well as the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. It tells the story of Martha, who accidentally kills her aunt and marries the only other witness in order to keep him quiet and stay out of prison herself.
1946 was one of the greatest years for film noir, with movies like The Killers, Boomerang!, Notorious, and The Blue Dahlia all coming out that same year.
Barbara Stanwyck plays Martha, and is joined by another of the best film noir movie actors, Lizabeth Scott, as the new love interest of the man Martha was in love with. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers‘ bleak ending is a great tragic conclusion to a story brimming with guilt in its protagonists. The classic noir elements of a cynical worldview, a morally corrupt main character, and a hushed-up crime make it especially enjoyable to watch.
7
Nightmare Alley (1947)
Directed by Edmund Goulding
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Nightmare Alley
Not Rated
Drama
Thriller
Crime
Release Date
October 9, 1947
Runtime
111 Minutes
Director
Edmund Goulding
Nightmare Alley (1947) is a film noir directed by Edmund Goulding that follows the rise and fall of a carnival conman as he seizes opportunities to exploit people’s weaknesses, only to be haunted by his own vulnerabilities.
Cast
Tyrone Power, Helen Walker, Coleen Gray, Joan Blondell, Taylor Holmes, Mike Mazurki, Ian Keith, Roy Roberts, Florence Auer, Bonnie Bannon, George Beranger, Oliver Blake, June Bolyn
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Writers
William Lindsay Gresham, Jules Furthman
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Based on William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel of the same name, Edmund Goulding’s Nightmare Alley stars Tyrone Power as the protagonist, a decade before his final performance in Witness for the Prosecution, one of the essentially perfect legal dramas. He plays an opportunistic man who falls into fortune after accidentally killing a man, and later hatching a scam plot with a shady therapist.
A dark cautionary tale that warns people about the consequences of being driven by greed, Nightmare Alley follows the rise and fall of the protagonist. The bleak film lives up to its name as its scenes are chock-full of intriguing and somewhat scary imagery, including a few haunted premises. While this was the first adaptation of Goulding’s novel, Guillermo Del Toro’s 2021 adaptation of the same name is the more popular version. Still, the 1947 version deserves to be famous as well, for its brilliant performance and beautiful cinematography.
6
The Set-Up (1949)
Directed by Robert Wise
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The Set-Up
Western
Release Date
May 15, 1926
Runtime
55 Minutes
Director
Clifford Smith
The Set-Up is a 1949 film directed by Robert Wise, featuring Robert Ryan as aging boxer Stoker Thompson. Set over a single night, the movie follows Thompson’s grueling battle in the ring while unaware that his fight has been fixed by his corrupt manager. The film uniquely blends film noir with sports drama to explore themes of resilience and betrayal in the underbelly of the boxing world.
Cast
Art Acord, Alta Allen, Albert Schaefer, Thomas G. Lingham, C. Montague Shaw, Jack Quinn, William Welsh, Rex the Dog
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Writers
L.V. Jefferson
Character(s)
Deputy Art Stratton, Thora Barton, Tub Jones, Seth Tolliver, Cliff Barton, Bert Tolliver, Sheriff Hayes, Rex
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The Set-Up is Robert Wise’s last film for RKO studios, famous for movies like Citizen Kane, Bringing Up Baby, and Cat People, a classic black-and-white horror movie that still holds up today. It is a masterclass in storytelling as it follows a boxing match in real time, and weaves a narrative of ambition, mortality, hope, and loss. The Set-Up follows veteran boxer Stoker (Robert Ryan) in a match against a newcomer backed by the mob.
The cinematography attaches metaphorical meaning to the frames that depict the boxing match.
Stoker is used to losing games without being able to provide much competition, but on this fateful night, with the mob backing his opponent, he becomes defiant and puts on the fight of his life. There’s a glorious sense of self-confidence laced with the classic noir cynicism in the film’s tone, as the cinematography attaches metaphorical meaning to the frames that depict the boxing match. The iconic shot from Scorsese’s Raging Bull where the boxer seems to have a halo on his head could possibly have been inspired by a similar shot in The Set-Up.
5
The Window (1949)
Directed by Ted Tetzlaff
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The Window
Thriller
Crime
Release Date
May 10, 1949
Runtime
73 minutes
Director
Ted Tetzlaff
The Window is a suspenseful feature directed by Ted Tetzlaff, centered on a young boy who struggles to convince his parents and the authorities that he has witnessed a murder. As the criminals, who reside in the same building, realize he knows about their crime, they attempt to silence him.
Cast
Bobby Driscoll, Barbara Hale, Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart, Ruth Roman, Richard Benedict, James Nolan, Anthony Ross, Tom Coleman, Lloyd Dawson, Carl Faulkner, Budd Fine, Eric Mack, Lee Phelps, Carl Saxe, Brick Sullivan, Ken Terrell, Lee Kass, Johnny Kern, Tex Swan
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Writers
Mel Dinelli
Producers
Dore Schary
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The grimness of The Window is even more tense than the average noir film, as it’s a kid who’s in danger of dying throughout the runtime. Daring death-defying stunts and thrilling chase sequences, usually not associated with the genre, which more commonly features a slow-burn narrative, The Window is a reinterpretation of the famous Aesop’s fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Based on Cornell Woolrich’s short story The Boy Cried Murder, it was later remade in 1966 with the same name as the short story.
The Window was remade another time in 1984, as Cloak & Dagger, not to be confused with the Marvel Studios show of the same name.
A boy who is known for telling tall tales witnesses a murder, but no one is willing to believe him. He is chased by the murderers and manages to escape from them many times before one of them dies while trying to chase him. The adventurous tale wouldn’t be a noir film if it didn’t focus so much on the helplessness of the situation and closely follow the murderers. The Window was remade another time in 1984, as Cloak & Dagger, not to be confused with the Marvel Studios show of the same name.
4
Criss Cross
Directed by Robert Siodmak
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Criss Cross
Not Rated
Crime
Thriller
Release Date
February 4, 1949
Runtime
88 Minutes
Director
Robert Siodmak
Criss Cross (1949) follows Steve Thompson, a disillusioned man caught in a web of crime and betrayal as he attempts to rekindle a romance with his former wife, Anna, now married to a mobster. This film noir delves into the complexities of love and deception, with a tense narrative and atmospheric cinematography that encapsulate the era’s stylistic trademarks.
Cast
Burt Lancaster, Yvonne De Carlo, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Esy Morales, Tom Pedi, Percy Helton, Alan Napier, Griff Barnett, Meg Randall, Richard Long, Joan Miller, Edna Holland, John Doucette, Marc Krah, James O’Rear, John Skins Miller, Tony Curtis
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Writers
Don Tracy, Daniel Fuchs, William Bowers
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Director Robert Siodmark is famous for practically inventing modern noir cinema, but despite his achievements and influence on cinema, he was only nominated for one Academy Award in his life. His Oscar nomination for Best Director came for his work on the film The Killers, where he worked with famous Hollywood star Burt Lancaster. Siodmark directed Lancaster just one more time, and that was in Criss Cross.
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Lancaster plays a man who returns to Los Angeles to try and win his ex-wife over. There’s just one obstacle in his path – a gangster he has to make a deal with. Dan Duryea plays the gangster and delivers one of the greatest villain performances in film noir history. Fans of the cynicism that defines noir cinema should check out Criss Cross, whose bleak ending is highly memorable and in perfect agreement with the doomed atmosphere of the film. It was later remade by Steven Soderbergh in 1995 as The Underneath.
3
No Way Out (1950)
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
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No Way Out
Passed
Crime
Drama
Release Date
August 16, 1950
Runtime
107 Minutes
Director
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
No Way Out (1950) is a crime drama directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Starring Sidney Poitier, the film follows a Black doctor who must face racial prejudice while treating a white bigot, leading to escalating racial tensions and violence. Richard Widmark and Linda Darnell co-star in this gripping narrative that explores complex social issues.
Cast
Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell, Sidney Poitier, Stephen McNally, Mildred Joanne Smith, Harry Bellaver, Stanley Ridges
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Writers
Lesser Samuels, Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Studio(s)
20th Century Fox
Distributor(s)
20th Century Fox
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All About Eve is one of the movies that defined Bette Davis’ career. It was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who made another great movie the same year he directed it. No Way Out, starring Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, and Linda Darrell, is Poitier’s film debut as an unlucky doctor. Racially charged accusations are leveled against him when a white patient dies in his care.
As is often the case with movies starring him, the film’s most remarkable performance is Widmark’s.
A tight thriller that follows an escalating situation at a deliberate pace, No Way Out is a case study in slow-burn writing. As is often the case with movies starring him, the film’s most remarkable performance is Widmark’s. He plays a bigoted and insufferable man who escalated the situation in the beginning by delaying the patient’s care since he cannot fathom a doctor being black. Widmark disappears into the role and breathes uncannily believable life into his character.
2
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone
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I Wake Up Screaming
Approved
Mystery
Crime
Release Date
October 31, 1941
Runtime
82 minutes
Director
H. Bruce Humberstone
I Wake Up Screaming is a 1941 film noir directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, featuring a young promoter accused of murdering a rising actress he discovered. The film follows his entanglement with an ex-actor and a gossip columnist, as he becomes embroiled in a complex investigation.
Cast
Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carole Landis, Laird Cregar, William Gargan, Alan Mowbray, Allyn Joslyn, Elisha Cook Jr., Chick Chandler, Cyril Ring, Morris Ankrum, Charles Lane, Frank Orth, Gregory Gaye, May Beatty, Brooks Benedict, Edward Biby, Stanley Blystone, Wade Boteler, John Breen, Ralph Brooks, Russ Clark, Stanley Clements, James Conaty, Heinie Conklin
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Writers
Dwight Taylor
Producers
Milton Sperling
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Victor Mature, famous for My Darling Clementine, one of John Ford’s best movies, stars as the protagonist in H. Bruce Humberstone’s I Wake Up Screaming. Told non-linearly, the film follows Mature’s character as he tries to figure out who is framing him for the murder of the Hollywood actress he helped find fame. Her sister, played by a brilliant Grable in one of her most underrated roles, decides to help him.
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A dark tale of jealousy and obsession, I Wake Up Screaming also stars Carole Landis, who is known for her roles in A Scandal in Paris and Moon Over Miami. She has a minor role as the murder victim, but still makes an impression in the flashback scenes. The primary antagonist is played by Laird Cregar, whose imposing screen presence makes him an intriguing villain to Mature’s hero.
1
Plunder Road (1957)
Directed by Hubert Cornfield
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Plunder Road
NR
Crime
Drama
Release Date
December 5, 1957
Runtime
72 minutes
Director
Hubert Cornfield
Plunder Road is a 1957 crime film that follows the aftermath of a meticulously planned heist. As the thieves attempt to flee with their loot, tensions rise and complications ensue, threatening to derail their getaway.
Cast
Gene Raymond, Jeanne Cooper, Wayne Morris, Elisha Cook Jr., Stafford Repp, Steven Ritch, Harry Tyler, Helene Heigh, Charles J. Conrad, Paul Harber, Don Garrett, Michael Fox, Richard Newton, Jim Canino, Douglas Bank, Naura Hayden
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Writers
Steven Ritch
Producers
Leon Chooluck
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One of the best cold opens in TV show history follows Rick Grimes’ group of survivors as they clear out a house without speaking one word. That scene is a reference to Hubert Cornfield’s brilliant noir thriller Plunder Road. The movie opens with a fourteen-minute-long robbery sequence involving five robbers where they don’t exchange a single line of dialogue for the whole sequence.
The deliberate pacing, a common element in noir films, is particularly engrossing in Plunder Road, because the intense plot clashes with the pace and keeps viewers glued to their seats in anticipation.
With no build-up, Plunder Road is a unique heist film that starts with the heist itself and only follows the characters to the natural conclusions of their stories. It doesn’t bother much with the characters’ past, instead focusing on the desperation they experience when they realize what ending is inevitable for them. The deliberate pacing, a common element in noir films, is particularly engrossing in Plunder Road, because the intense plot clashes with the pace and keeps viewers glued to their seats in anticipation.
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Category: Entertainment