Just as punk evolved from the 80s and became grunge in the 90s, so did the classic film noir of the 50s and 60s, becoming a whole new genre in the years that followed: neo noir. The idea behind neo-noir is that it is a genre that borrows from the themes and style of movie noir but also synthesizes other genres in the fold. It often contains revenge themes and blurs the lines between good and evil, and also tends to focus on an antihero as the protagonist.
While any film with features of film noir released after 1960 is technically a neo-noir film, the genre saw a huge surge in popularity in the 1990s and 2000s, which continues to this day. Since this list focuses on “modern” neo-noir, it only looks at movies released in the past 20 years, between 2002 and 2022. Here are the best modern neo-noir movies and where to stream them.
9 Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003)
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Where to stream: Netflix (US)
This list would warrant criminal prosecution if Quinten Tarantino wasn’t on something. Pretty much every film the man makes fits the neo-noir genre to some degree. That said, none of them embodies it quite as well as Kill Bill Vol. 1.
The bride’s (Uma Thurman) quest for revenge on her abusers is unforgettable. The absurdist gore, spectacular action, fantastic soundtrack and beautiful cinematography all come together to create what is arguably Tarantino’s most complete work and one of the few films where his script doesn’t do the heavy lifting. While The Bride’s methods may be questionable, it’s impossible to deny that she’s earned the right to exact revenge as she sees fit, and boy, does she ever get it.
8 Eastern Promises (2007)
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Where to Stream: Amazon Prime & HBO Max
The second film in director David Cronenberg’s attempt to distance himself from his body-horror roots, oriental promises is an ugly story about crime and abuse and the price that comes with it.
When a pregnant Russian teenager dies in childbirth, her midwife Anna (Naomi Watts) takes the girl’s diary home to see if her Russian father can translate it and find the baby’s family. Instead, Anna becomes embroiled in the activities of the Russian mafia when she discovers the abuse that led to the girl’s pregnancy. The head of the mafia’s son, Kirill (Vincent Kassel), and his bodyguard Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), begin to circle closer and closer to Anna and her family, in hopes of revealing the baby’s secret – and the mother’s death. – to see the light. of day.
7 Shutter Island (2010)
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Where to Stream: Netflix (US) & Amazon Prime
Martin Scorsese’s departure from crime movies to the world of psychological thrillers threw moviegoers off then Shutter Island was first released, resulting in mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. However, it is a film worth returning to, because beyond the zeitgeist, it is one of the best thrillers of its time.
Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) travel to Shutter Island to inquire about Rachel Slando’s disappearance from the insane asylum stationed there. Of course, not everything is what it seems. While not worth spoiling, the film’s ending is one for all time and makes re-watching all the more enjoyable when viewers can pick up the hints hidden in each frame.
6 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
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Where to Stream: HBO Max & Amazon Prime
One of the closest movies on this list to classic film noir territory, kiss kiss bang bang marked the comeback of director Shane Black (of Deadly Weapon fame), as well as Robert Downey Jr., who believes this was the calling card that landed him the role of Iron Man just three years later.
Harry Lockheart (Robert Downey Jr.) runs away from the police when he encounters a screen test in NYC. He inadvertently wins the screen test and is shipped to LA for further auditions. Upon arrival, Harry witnesses a murder and teams up with an agent named “Gay” Perry of Shrike (Val Kilmer) to solve the case. Easily one of the funniest black comedies of the decade, Downey Jr.’s chemistry alone. and Kilmer, enhanced by Shane Black’s sharp dialogue, make this a must-see.
5 Nightcrawler (2014)
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Where to Stream: HBO Max & Netflix (US) Until September 9
Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut, night crawler is a seething indictment of modern journalism’s obsession with graphic or violent news images and the effort they will go to to get it. It’s an extremely awkward movie, but that’s part of what makes it great.
Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a petty thief who encounters a late night crime scene and a group of “Stingers” who take it upon themselves to sell the footage to news outlets. Louis steals a bicycle, pawns it to buy himself a camera, and looks for graphic mishaps to film. Louis’ subsequent downward spiral is like watching a train crash in slow motion. night crawler is Jake Gyllenhaal at his absolute scariest (it’s a thing with the eyes), and there’s just no other movie quite like it.
4 Old Boy (2003)
Not to be confused with the 2013 Spike Lee remake, Korean director Park Chan-wook’s second film in his “Vengeance” trilogy is considered by many to be one of the greatest revenge stories of all time. The infamous ‘hallway battle scene’ alone elevates this film to modern classic territory.
Drunk absentee father, Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik), is inexplicably kidnapped and locked in a hotel room for 15 years. Then, just as inexplicably, he is released. Trying to keep his sanity, Oh Dae-su trained those 15 years for the chance that he might one day discover who kidnapped him. After his release, that will be his only goal. What starts out as a simple revenge story becomes much more sinister towards the end of the film. Avoid spoilers for this one at all costs.
3 Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
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Where to Stream: Amazon Prime & Apple TV
The sequel that seemed impossible when announced, Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 is a polarizing film. It has rightly been criticized for its running time, pace and misogynistic undertones. It has also been lauded for transporting the source material into the modern era and for making a sequel initially thought unnecessary into something now considered essential in the Blade Runner canon.
K (Ryan Gosling) is a replicant working for the LAPD as a blade runner, who hunts and kills fraudulent replicants. When K has flashbacks of childhood memories, he begins to suspect that he may not really be a replica, but that he was born as a human. K’s journey is almost a mirror to Deckard’s in the original film. All the moral dilemmas surrounding what makes one “human” are still present, and the film even answers a few lingering questions from the original Blade Runner debated for 35 years.
2 John Wick (2014)
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Where to stream: Netflix (US), Amazon Prime and Apple TV
The movie where Keanu Reeves returned to action movies, John Wick is not just a modern classic of the action genre; it pioneered a way of capturing action scenes that continues to this day, replacing the previous ‘shaky cam’ trend popularized by Paul Greengrass’ Bourne movies.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is forced out of retirement when a band of villains invades his home, steals his car and kills his dog. Little did they know that Wick is one of the deadliest killers in the world, and they just put themselves in his sights. With the biggest utterance of the line “Oh” in movie history, John Wick Not only did Keanu Reeves get back into the action scene, but it spawned an entire franchise from his titular character.
1 The Dark Knight (2008)
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Where to Stream: HBO Max & Amazon Prime
No surprise here. The Dark Knight is director Christopher Nolan at his best. Not only is it one of the best modern neo-noir movies, but it’s also one of the best Batman stories ever told, in comics or otherwise.
Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has just landed his regular role as Batman when The Joker (Heath Ledger) arrives on the scene. What initially looks like an anarchic crime series soon turns out that The Joker is no ordinary villain. His goals aren’t just money or power, but are directly tied to watching Batman fall from grace. With a legendary performance by the late Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight is an essential part of neo-noir cinema, and given the direction superhero movies are going these days, there will never be another movie quite like this one.
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