The Most Cynical of Genres: 5 Best Noir Films of All Time

Unfortunately, the older you get, the harder it is to trust people. And that atmosphere of mistrust is suffocating, but for some reason it is also quite exciting. Maybe that is why noir remains a popular movie genre.

But if you're unfamiliar with it and looking for some titles to watch, here are five suggestions.

The Maltese Falcon (1941, 8.0 on IMDb)

Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

John Huston's adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel of the same name follows Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade, a San Francisco-based private investigator who is recruited by a mysterious femme fatale client. Framed for the murder of his partner, who was likely killed by his client's boyfriend (who is also dead), Sam must find out who is behind the series of murders before the police arrest him.

The Third Man (1949, 8.1 on IMDb)

Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Set in post-World War II Vienna, this classic of the genre centers on Holly Martins, an American writer of western novels, who arrives in the Austrian capital in search of Harry Lime, his childhood friend. Upon arrival, Martins learns that Lime has been killed in a car accident, but quickly begins to question whether it was an accident and whether his friend died that way, as the accounts of several 'witnesses' differ greatly.

Chinatown (1974, 8.1 on IMDb)

Available on: Paramount+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Roman Polanski's neo-noir mystery film, inspired by the infamous California water wars of the early twentieth century, tells the story of a missing Los Angeles Department of Water and Power engineer whose wife hires a private investigator to track him down, suspecting him of cheating. As the investigator delves deeper into the case, he discovers a bundle of conspiracy, corruption, and illegal schemes in which the man was involved.

Double Indemnity (1944, 8.3 on IMDb)

Available on: Max, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Based on James M. Cain's novella of the same name, this crime thriller is widely considered the epitome of the noir genre. The movie follows an insurance agent who is seduced by a housewife and tricked into pulling off a scheme involving the 'sudden' death of her husband, which would give her insurance money. But the company's claims adjuster suspects there's something funny going on.

Sunset Boulevard (1950, 8.4 on IMDb)

Available on: Paramount+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Billy Wilder's black comedy noir centers on Joe Gillis, a Hollywood screenwriter struggling to make ends meet. Desperate to find a job to pay off his loans, one day Gillis takes a drive in his car in an unspecified direction, during which a tire bursts and he accidentally skids into the yard of Norma Desmond, a once-famous silent film star who changes his life forever.