A great crime thriller, one of thebest action movies turning 30 in 2025, Michael Mann’sHeatis perhaps the finest neo-noir film in existence, but there are other movies in the genre that deserve attention. WhileHeatdeconstructs the mysticism that hangs over the genre, the 1941 filmThe 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 thegreat crime movies where the villain winsin the end, made today, are inspired by classic noir films.
The blending of noir sensibilities with other genres yields fascinating results, likedrama 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 someclassic movies likeSunset BoulevardandDouble Indemnityhave never been forgotten. However, many great noir films from the ’40s and ’50s have become obscure today and deserve to be seen even today.
Directed by Henry Hathaway
The House on 92nd Street
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.
One of character actor Lloyd Nolan’s most underrated movies,The House on 92nd Streetis 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 evenfeatures a cameo by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, which makes it apparent that the movie will feel like FBI propaganda.
The House on 92nd Streetis 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 Streetis 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.
Kiss of Death
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.
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 inKiss of Deathwas 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 Deathtells 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 starredNicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, and David Caruso. Despite retaining the crime plot, the remake doesn’t have Udo’s character.
Directed by Lewis Milestone
The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers
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.
It is sad thatThe Strange Love of Martha Iversis such an underrated film today. It was a critically acclaimed film when it came out, and it was nominated foran 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 to keep him quiet and stay out of prison herself.
1946 was one of the greatest years for film noir, with movies likeThe Killers,Boomerang!,Notorious, andThe Blue Dahliaall coming out that same year.
Barbara Stanwyck plays Martha, and is joined by another of thebest 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.
Directed by Edmund Goulding
Nightmare Alley
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.
Based on William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel of the same name, Edmund Goulding’sNightmare Alleystars Tyrone Power as the protagonist, a decade before his final performance inWitness for the Prosecution, one of theessentially 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 Alleyfollows 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.
Directed by Robert Wise
The Set-Up
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.
The Set-Upis Robert Wise’s last film for RKO studios, famous for movies likeCitizen Kane,Bringing Up Baby, andCat People, aclassic black-and-white horror movie that still holds uptoday. 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-Upfollows 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’sRaging Bullwhere the boxer seems to have a halo on his head could possibly have been inspired by a similar shot inThe Set-Up.
Directed by Ted Tetzlaff
The Window
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.
The grimness ofThe Windowis 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 Windowis a reinterpretation of the famous Aesop’s fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Based on Cornell Woolrich’s short storyThe Boy Cried Murder, it was later remade in 1966 with the same name as the short story.
The Windowwas remade another time in 1984, asCloak & 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 filmif it didn’t focus so much on the helplessness of the situationand closely follow the murderers.The Windowwas remade another time in 1984, asCloak & Dagger, not to be confused with the Marvel Studios show of the same name.
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Criss Cross
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.
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 filmThe Killers, where he worked with famous Hollywood star Burt Lancaster. Siodmark directed Lancaster just one more time, and that was inCriss 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 outCriss Cross, whose bleak ending is highly memorable and in perfect agreement with the doomed atmosphere of the film. It waslater remade by Steven Soderbergh in 1995asThe Underneath.
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
No Way Out
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.
All About Eveis one of themovies 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 Outis 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.
Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone
I Wake Up Screaming
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.
Victor Mature, famous forMy Darling Clementine, one ofJohn Ford’s best movies, stars as the protagonist in H. Bruce Humberstone’sI 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 Screamingalso stars Carole Landis, who is known forher roles inAScandal in ParisandMoon 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.
Directed by Hubert Cornfield
Plunder Road
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.
One of thebest cold opens in TV show historyfollows 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 thrillerPlunder 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 inPlunder Road, because the intense plot clashes with the pace and keeps viewers glued to their seats in anticipation.
With no build-up,Plunder Roadis a unique heist film that starts with the heist itselfand 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 inPlunder Road, because the intense plot clashes with the pace and keeps viewers glued to their seats in anticipation.
