Best Noir Movies of All Time

Chinatown is a skillfully scripted masterpiece. When private eye J.J. "Jake" is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband's activities, he believes it's a routine infidelity case only to find out that it was more than just routine.

A movie about crime and corruption. When a car bomb explodes on the American side of the U.S./Mexico border, Mexican drug enforcement agent Miguel Vargas begins his investigation, along with American police captain Hank Quinlan. When Vargas begins to suspect that Quinlan and his shady partner, Menzies, are planting evidence to frame an innocent man, his investigations into their possible corruption quickly put himself and his new bride, Susie, in jeopardy.

Double indemnity is about how a insurance salesman Walter Neff gets roped into a murderous scheme when he falls for the sensual Phyllis Dietrichson, who is intent on killing her husband and living off the fraudulent accidental death claim.

A movie about love and false identities. In New York, piano player Al Roberts laments when his singer girlfriend, Sue Harvey, leaves for Hollywood, Calif. When Al gets some money, he decides to hitchhike to California to join Sue. In Arizona, Al accepts a ride with Charles Haskell, but during a storm in a freak accident, Haskell is killed. Frightened, Al assumes Haskell's identity and car, but soon comes upon the mysterious Vera, who seems to know all about his true identity

This movie is about a reverend who is not only a religious fanatic but also a serial killer who targets women who use their sexuality to attract men. Serving time in prison for car theft, he meets condemned murderer Ben Harper (Peter Graves), who confesses to hiding $10,000 in stolen loot. Released from jail, Powell is obsessed with finding the money.

World War II vet Frank McCloud goes to pay his respects to the family of his late war buddy, McCloud attempts to comfort his comrade's widow, Nora (Lauren Bacall), and father, James Temple (Lionel Barrymore), who operate a hotel. But McCloud realizes that mobsters, led by the infamous Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson), are staying in the hotel. When the criminals take over the establishment, conflict is inevitable.

This movie is about a writer of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to find him dead. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Maj. Calloway (Trevor Howard) and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna (Alida Valli).

A love traingle between a cashier and part-time starving artist Christopher Cross , the beautiful Kitty March and Johnny (Dan Duryea), a two-bit crook. When Kitty and Dan find out that art dealers are interested in Chris' work, they con him into letting Kitty take credit for the paintings. Cross allows it because he is in love with Kitty, but his love will only let her get away with so much.

Professor Richard Wanley meets Alice (Joan Bennett), the model for a portrait he admires, and ends up killing her jealous boyfriend in self-defense. Things go smoothly until Richard's D.A. friend invites him to tag along on the investigation of his own crime.

A spine chilling movie about an aging silent film queen who refuses to accept that her stardom has ended. She hires a young screenwriter to help set up her movie comeback.