Watching Lady from Shanghai yesterday reminded me that I like “film noir.” So I Googled “Best film noir” and found two Top Ten and two Top Twenty lists. Lots of films I’ve not seen. So I appeal to Dopers for help pruning this list. (I’ve watched many of the films already, but leave them on this list.)
I’ve sorted the following list by IMDB rating, but add 0.3 points if the film was on two or more of the “Top” lists, and add 0.2 if easy-on-the-eyes Rita Hayworth stars. I do not understand the great love for Sunset Boulevard. It tops this IMDB list, but I’d place it at the bottom.
Sunset Boulevard 8.5+0.3
Double Indemnity 8.3+0.3
Chinatown 8.2+0.3
The Third Man 8.2+0.3
Out of the Past 8.1+0.3
Touch of Evil 8.1+0.3
Laura 8.1+0.3
The Big Sleep 8.0+0.3
The Big Heat (1953) 8.0+0.3
Night and the City 8.0+0.3
L.A. Confidential 8.3
Sweet Smell of Success 8.2
The Maltese Falcon 8.1
In a Lonely Place 8.0
The Killing (1956) 8.0
In a Lonely Place (1950) 8.0
Lift to the Scaffold (Elevator to the Gallows) 8.0
Blood Simple 7.7+0.3
Kiss Me Deadly 7.7+0.3
The Asphalt Jungle (1950) 7.9
Gilda 7.7+0.2
Lady from Shanghai 7.7+0.2
Scarlet Street 7.9
They Live by Night 7.6+0.3
Nightmare Alley (1947) 7.8
The Killers (1946) 7.8
Pickup on South Street 7.8
The Woman in the Window (1944) 7.8
The Long Goodbye 7.7
Murder My Sleep 7.6
Criss Cross (1949) 7.6
Ride the Pink Horse 7.4
The Big Combo 7.4
Detour (1945) 7.4
The Prowler (1951) 7.3
The Reckless Moment 7.2
Inherent Vice 6.7
Here are some films not on the Top Noir lists which I liked. Perhaps this will help Dopers offer me recommendations:
The Usual Suspects 8.6
Taxi Driver 8.3
Snatch (2000) 8.3
Reservoir Dogs 8.3
Unforgiven (1992) 8.2
Fargo (1996) 8.1
Knife in the Water 7.6
Bound (1996) 7.4
Remedy (2005) 4.6
The first six are great classics — Snatch and Fargo have too much humor to be considered film noir, but what about Taxi Driver or Unforgiven? Are they “film noir”?
I certainly wouldn’t put Remedy on a Top list, but I enjoyed it and wonder about its very low IMDB score. Have others watched it?