Farewell, My Lovely - 2/5

This movie is mostly fine; not great, but fine. The noir elements come through strongly with the palpable setting and Robert Mitchum’s voiceover. Unfortunately most of the actors are phoning in their lines and the scenes all play out like everyone just wants to be done for the day. The plot is more of a procedural than a mystery, and the protagonist never adapts to the same thing happening to him over and again. Even if you like gritty noir, you can do much better than this.

Content warning: female nudity

Closest comparison: It’s like The Long Goodbye (1973) by way of The Big Sleep (1978).

Setting: Crime
Plot: Detective
Tone: Noir

The Two Jakes (1990) - 2/5

This movie is a dependent sequel to Chinatown, and you may be somewhat lost unless you have a good recall. It’s not as sordid as its predecessor but it’s also not as gripping, plodding along vaguely until it peters out at the final solution. It retreads many of the superficial beats of the first film, too, using formula as ersatz meaning.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Long Goodbye by way of Chinatown.

Setting: Noir
Plot: Detective
Tone: Detective

Reminiscence (2021) - 3/5

This movie is a modern noir with impeccable aesthetics and a solid story. The telling of that story, however, gets a little convoluted and some of the rabbit trails seem more like a waste of time than interesting diversions. It’s a little too self-absorbed, a little too horny, a little too distracted, but the overall impact is still fun and it lands the ending which carries a lot of water for this film.

Closest comparison: It’s like the Maltese Falcon by way of Love, Death, and Robots.

Setting: Sci-Fi
Plot: Detective
Tone: Noir

Sabotage (1936) - 3/5

This is a tense thriller that overall is quite good but goes too far. It’s an early Hitchcock and serves as a good ‘before’ snapshot against which to compare his later, better works. The ending is much less satisfying than it could have been with a few plot tweaks, although the tension and plot reveals work well throughout.

Closest comparison: It’s like Notorious by way of The 39 Steps.

Setting: Drama
Plot: Espionage
Tone: Thriller

He Walked by Night - 3/5

This is a ‘based on a true story’ movie that plays out more like a classic Noir title than a true crime detective docudrama. The manhunt portions don’t lag terribly because they’re intercut between hunter and hunted. The short runtime also helps keep the story focused, not bogged down by manufactured drama.

Closest comparison: It’s like No Country For Old Men by way of Dark Passage.

Setting: Crime
Plot: Manhunt
Tone: Noir

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) - 2/5

This movie is much too long for its simple, pithy point, and would have done much better as an episode of a TV show like Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It’s a long, sordid drama that revisits the same ground until it’s blue in the face before finally delivering what a mounts to a recognizable noir cautionary morality tale. Initially the overlong repetition works in the film’s favor by increasing tension, but eventually the prospect of tragedy looks enticing as long as it results in forward narrative motion. Still, the performances are palpable and the plot is mechanically sound.

Closest comparison: It’s like an extended episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Setting: Noir
Plot: Crime
Tone: Thriller

Gangster Squad - 3/5

This movie has a slick aesthetic and a stock plot. The sleek visual style is definitely the draw here, but the story is good enough to keep the audience’s attention through to the end.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Untouchables by way of La La Land, without the singing.

Setting: Crime
Plot: Action
Tone: Adventure

The Maltese Falcon (1941) - 4/5

This movie hits all the film noir staples, from the world-weary private eye hired by a dame at the end of her rope, to the twisting larger-than-life narrative. It stays very close to the source material, which portrays its protagonist as if Dashiell Hammett had Humphrey Bogart in mind. Its characters are complex and subtle, so casual viewers will be easily lost, but a more attentive audience will be rewarded with an intricate web of lies and deceit. There’s no substitute for the golden dialogue delivery and pre-war era style that easily cements itself as a time-tested classic.

Closest comparison: It’s like a less sleazy Chinatown by way of The Big Sleep (1946).

Setting: Drama
Plot: Detective
Tone: Noir

The Long Goodbye (1973) - 3/5

This is a sleazy ‘70s version of a ‘40s noir detective thriller, and it works out for the most part. Elliott Gould gives the performance of his career in his own take on the legendary Bogart character, chewing the scenery and irresistibly becoming the best thing about this movie by far. The plot meanders to its passable destination by a workable route, building the world more than the suspense and delivering neither more nor less than it promises. Your enjoyment of this film will vary directly by how much you enjoy or are bothered by its sleaze.

Content warning: female nudity

Closest comparison: It’s like The Big Sleep (1946) by way of Chinatown (1974).

Setting: Noir
Plot: Detective
Tone: Crime

The Big Sleep (1946) - 4/5

This is a detective film noir classic, complete with downtrodden detective and a sense of smoky mystique hanging in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife and it would stay cut. The story strolls along while the actors chew the scenery and the audience forgets itself for the duration. It manages to tackle the tawdry subsurface dealings of the rich and famous with dignity, without stooping to the sleaze of its ‘70s counterparts. The dialogue, acting, and overall filmmaking here is good, but the main draw here is the atmosphere that mesmerizes as only the noir genre can.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Maltese Falcon (1941) by way of Dark Passage (1947).

Setting: Noir
Plot: Detective
Tone: Noir

Detour (1945) - 3/5

This is a solid, small-scale film noir with real stakes to make the best use of its low budget. The slippery slope story is a bit too ‘couldn’t he just’ to truly sell its tension, though, and if it weren’t for a great ending this film would have been lost to time. As it is, it’s a solid entry in the film noir genre and an interesting 68 minute diversion.

Closest comparison: It’s like a cross between The Petrified Forest (1936) and The Woman in the Window (1944).

Setting: Drama
Plot: Man on the Run
Tone: Noir

The Woman in the Window (1944) - 4/5

This film noir centerpiece is a fascinating address of human psyche and the question of morality in the face of an imperfect justice system. It has all the hallmarks of the noir genre, including a male lead that wanders just beyond the line of morality and a will-they-won’t-they femme fatale. It’s equal parts crime drama, tawdry mess, and frank morality play. This movie shines in its clever plot by letting the audience in on the characters’ dualities to ratchet up the tension, paying off initial setups like gangbusters. If you’re a fan of film noir, this is a must-watch.

Closest comparison: It’s like It’s A Wonderful Life by way of Little Caesar (1939).

Setting: Noir
Plot: Cover-up
Tone: Thriller

The Lady from Shanghai - 2/5

This film is largely a pretentious attempt at depth without providing any substance. It’s beautifully shot, but never amounts to more than tawdry trappings on a sordid story. It’s a convoluted plot for something as simple as adultery, and what’s more it has the audacity to be boring despite itself. It gets interesting toward the end, but by that time the audience’s investment in the characters has waned and their plight falls on deaf ears. And frankly the acting is poor.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Maltese Falcon by way of The Third Man.

Setting: Adventure
Plot: Drama
Tone: Pulp Noir

Black Rain - 4/5

This film noir flew under the radar despite being directed by the legendary Ridley Scott. It’s got a fun, gritty feel without actually portraying the scum that seems like it might lurk around every corner. The main character is hard-boiled and almost likable despite himself. The setting is almost a character unto itself, and the movie showcases the surreptitious Japanese underground instead of relying on its few action setpieces. This is a great entry into the genre, and it’s a shame that it’s been relegated to obscurity.

Closest comparison: It’s like a small scale ‘The Untouchables’ by way of Blade Runner.

Setting: Modern Noir
Plot: Buddy Cop
Tone: Cyberpunk