TOP 10 FILM NOIR Movies of All Time - Noirvember 2020 

Hey, thanks for watching! Check out my Criterion for Beginners video here - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g9gf6B81BVI.html

Double Indemnity is one of my favorite films! The second year I was with my girlfriend (this would have been 2013 or so) her grandmother was dying of cancer, and I got to hang out with her a lot and get to know her. This was before I got really into movies, and she was watching TV and we watched Double Indemnity together. I had no idea anyone thought of it as a classic at the time. I just thought of it as a movie that my girlfriend’s grandmother was really excited to watch. We watched it together and had absolutely the best time. It blew me away. It still blows me away today. It’s one of my favorite memories of her, and in general. Just wanted to leave this story here for you. Great RU-vid channel.

Sunset Boulevard is the movie that got me into classic film, and it will always be my favorite film noir.

As a film noir lover it's so difficult to pick up just 10 titles. I would say more: -City Streets -Scarface (1932) -The Man who Knew too Much -G Men -The Glass Key -Shadow of a Doubt -Murder, my Sweet -The Woman in the Window -Double Indemnity -Detour -The Chase -The Killers -Nightmare Alley -The Lady from Shanghai -Dark Passage -Naked City -Pitfall -CrissCross -White Heat -The Crooked Way -Dead or Alive -Stray Dog -The Third Man -Where the Sidewalk Ends -Mystery Street -Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye -Woman on the Run -The Asphalt Jungle -Strangers on a Train -Man Bait -Kansas City Confidential -The Big Heat -The Good Die Young -Crime Wave -Dial "M" for Murder -Suddenly -Hands Off the Loot -The Big Combo -Los Peces Rojos -Rififi -Accused of Murder -The Killing -The Price of Fear -The Long Haul -The Line-up -Rusty Knife -Touch of Evil -A Sangre Fría -Odds Against Tomorrow -The Sleeping Beast Within -The Last Gunfight -Blast of Silence -Experiment in Terror -A Tiro Limpio -High and Low -Youth of the Beast -Black Express -Cruel Gun Story -Escape from Japan -El Salario del Crimen -Cash Calls Hell -Le deuxième souffle -Point Blank -A Colt Is My Passport -Le Samourai -Massacre Gun I think I can stop already

Totally agree with all your choices, but leaving The Maltese Falcon out.... for me that's the king of noir. And a great noir of the very early 80s is Body Heat, which is a kind of homage to Double indemnity. If you haven't seen it you would probably like it, I'd guess. Incredible score from John Barry, too.

Great list, here are 10 just as good or better ;) 1 - Force of Evil - Abraham Polonsky 1948 2 - Touch of Evil - Orson Wells 1958 3 - Raw Deal - Anthony Mann 1948 4 - The Asphalt Jungle - John Huston 1950 5 - The Killers - Robert Siodmak 1946 6 - The Hitch-Hiker - Ida Lupino 1953 7 - The Killing - Stanley Kubrick 1956 8 - Criss Cross - Robert Siodmak 1949 9 - The Set-up - Robert Wise 1949 10 - Laura - Otto Preminger 1944 Love your channel, but I really miss your dad's journey into world cinema. Keep up the good work!

I just watched In a Lonely Place with Bogart. Starts with a noir set up but drifts more towards a relationship drama in a really interesting a raw way. It's got a great Criterion release.

Great choices. My additions are The Killers, The Third Man, Touch of Evil, In A Lonely Place, The Night of the Hunter, Force of Evil and Rififi.

When they were making the film of The Big Sleep, no one could figure out how the chauffeur ended up dead in the car that went into the water. Howard Hawks finally called Raymond Chandler, who wrote the book, to ask him. Chandler replied “I never figured that out either!”

My favorite film genre after I was introduced to it by my dad when I was 10 yrs old! 55 yrs later, they continue to fascinate me and continue to be my favorite type of movies. I never tire of watching them. Please don't forget "Murder my Sweet" with Dick Powell which is also another quintessential film noir classic! Thanks for your listing. I've watched them all...

Thank you for including Sweet Smell of Success, a movie I still think is so underrated. Incredible acting and the dialogue is among the best in film history.

Film Noir probably being my favourite movie genre, I'm always happy to such a video ^^

Jules Dassin’s Night and the City is one of my personal favourites, In fact I believe he has the strongest run of decent noir pictures and often get left out of the conversation. Great video, would love to see you do a top underrated noir list.

Great list as always. My favourites Classic Film Noir: The Third Man (probably my favorite, although not even American...); The Big Sleep; ; Dead Reckoning; Dark Passage; Double Indemnity; In a Lonely Place; Key Largo; Leave Her to Heaven; The Maltese Falcon; Nightmare Alley; The Night of the Hunter; Out of the Past; The Strange Love of Martha Ivers; The Killing Neo Noire: Chinatown; Blade Runner; Body Heat; Naked Lunch; Brick; Non-American Film Noir: M, Elevator to the Gallows; Bob Le Flambeur; Touchez Pas Au Grisbi; Long Day's Journey Into Night So many others...

My number one noir will always be Kubrick's The Killing, such an amazing heist film. Love both the Criterion and Arrow editions of it as well. Can't say I enjoy the also included Killer's Kiss noir by Kubrick as much though 😂

Excellent list! No list would be complete, however, without "The Maltese Falcon," "Laura,""The Third Man," and "Gilda," "The Postman Always Rings Twice," and countless lesser known entries in the genre. And for neo-noir, I strongly recommend "Body Heat"...

Oh man, you’re killing me. I added almost all of these titles to my list of films I need to check out (and possibly purchase). Love your content! Thanks for all the incredible recommendation videos.

My top ten: 10) Night & The City 9) Where The Sidewalk Ends 8) Leave Her To Heaven 7) Key Largo 6) The Killing 5) Mildred Pierce 4) Shadow Of A Doubt 3) The Big Heat 2) The Asphalt Jungle 1) Double Indemnity I could easily list 20 more though that I love like This Gun For Hire, Dark Passage, Angel Face, In A Lonely Place, White Heat, Gun Crazy, Scarlet Street, Out Of The Past, The Postman Always Rings Twice, They Live By Night etc., it's just a genre rich with gems.

Other good ones off the top of my head: Key Largo, The Third Man, The Asphalt Jungle, Elevator to the Gallows, Gilda...The Big Heat is a big favorite of mine too

Yet again another really interesting well thought-out video. Great work Elliot

Elliot!! Nice to see you again! Watching your new video right now! Film noir is indeed fantastic and the Criterion Collection has great selections! Always nice to see your new videos man!

Great job on this video. Very professional and spoken like someone that enjoys their work. Great job indeed.

I'm always on the lookout for someone's top film noir list. I've only seen three on your list and looking forward to viewing the others. Thanks, well done! 👍

Your picks are excellent, Elliot. I would add The Third Man, Sunset Boulevard, Touch of Evil, The Killing, and all of the three other Bogie and Bacall film noir movies beginning with To Have And Have Not and ending with Key Largo. Some years ago in Sacramento, California I saw a double feature of Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard in a 1950's era movie theater. Film noir author Eddie Muller introduced the films and talked about them and film noir in general. He also answered questions from the audience. It was a very memorable movie going experience! 👍👍👍

Great list and great video ad always Elliot! I’m a massive Film Noir fan so I thought that I’d have seen everything on this list but there were a couple which I’m yet to see so thanks for the recommendations. If you haven’t already I’d recommend checking out Welles’ Touch of Evil which is one of my favorite noirs.

Thanks for this video man! Just when I thought I’ve seen all the crime/corruption films, you bring me all these gems 👌🏽

I got into film noir at a young age ,( was allowed to watch any film I wanted from the age of 4 (1963) I was sick a lot so I just about saw everything, like all the films you have mentioned, Here is a few of my favourites. Miami Blues, (Alex Baldwin) The bridge ( rod stiger) Fires on the Plain ( japanese) Wages of fear, (French ) White heat Forbidden Games ( I love Clouzot) Ace in the hole/ The big Carnival Sunshine ? ( it's almost wages of fear in Space, )

Film noir is one of my favorite genres. Lots of great films here. I think my all time favorite noir is Night and the City by Jules Dassin.

I'm glad you showed the still of the book shop scene from The Big Sleep as this is a scene I always think of... The Clark Kent moment where she takes off her glasses is brilliant!

Just picked up Leave Her to Heaven in the Criterion sale! I'd highly recommend Experiment In Terror (released by Indicator), I just watched it recently and might be my favourite film I've seen so far this year. It falls right near the end of the film noir movement, so it feels a little closer to a straight forward crime thriller that we'd expect today but my God was it good. Clearly a huge influence on David Lynch and David Fincher - it feels like if Zodiac was made in the early 1960s. And quite possibly the most stunning black and white photography I have ever seen in a film. Hiiighly recommend.

Pickup on South Street, The Maltese Falcon, Thieves Highway, Night and the City, The Set-Up, The Breaking Point and Laura are my favorites left off of this list. Film Noir is the genre that got me interested in Classical Hollywood Cinema. I can watch them over and over. They never get old.

Absolutely adore film noir. Detour and Lady From Shanghai are both great but The Postman Always Rings Twice and Touch of Evil are big omissions IMO.

I’m just getting into film noir myself. I’ve watched a few that you recommended but the others will make great additions to my watchlist

Brilliant list, love that you mix the big budgets like double indemnity and big sleep with detour and gun crazy, I also like the Otto Preminger collection that was released on blu ray a few years ago. I personally would have put double indemnity top because my only criticism of big sleep and the Maltese Falcon (which is arguably the first ever film noir) is that Humphrey Bogart comes across as invincible

Hey Elliot! I've been wanting to watch more film noir movies because I have limited experience with them but I've immensely enjoyed the ones I've seen. Sweet Smell of Success was the last one I watched and thought it was excellent, and I thought the same of Double Indemnity which I saw not long before that. I'll be sure to check out the other films that you mentioned that I'm still yet to see! Fantastic video mate 👍

Hi Elliot, thanks for the video :) I was looking to increase my knowlege on that specific genre and watched 5 of your recommandations, and that was really great !

Out of the past is considered the ultimate.

Great review ! Out of the past , The lady from Shanghai, Leave her to Heaven, Double Indemnity, Gun Crazy, Kiss me deadly, The Big Sleep are also on my list. I would have added Laura, Criss cross

As I believe I heard the great Robert Mitchum say, back then they just called them "B" movies.

So many great Film Noirs out there on Blu Ray. Here's my top 5. 1. "Laura" (1944 - a great musical score by David Raskin). 2. "The Big Sleep" (1946 - William Faulker credited on the screenplay !) 3. "In A lonely Place" (1950 - Gloria Grahame my favourite femme fatale). 4. "Detour" (1945 - Tom Neal the classic doomed man and Ann Savage the most vicious Femme fatale. 5. "Force Of Evil" (1948 a socially leaning noir).

Impact , Cause For Alarm, Nightfall, The House on Telegraph Hill, and Body and Soul are some of my favorite but there are many great film noir films.

Very nice list, and helpful explanations for the uninitiated. I also like the UK noir Brighton Rock, Kiss Of Death, Notorious, Odds Against Tomorrow, The Woman in the Window, The Spiral Staircase, Ride the Pink Horse, Narrow Margin and The Wrong Man.. Once you really start digging into these, the list is endless -- and that's just for the classic period of the 40s and 50s.

Liked and Subscribed to your channel on this video alone! I’m just getting into Noir films, and this video is a great resource!

My favorite is the Maltese Falcon.

1. In A Lonely Place 2. Out Of The Past 3. The Third Man 4. Sweet Smell Of Sucess 5. Touch Of Evil 6. Sunset Boulevard 7. Double Indemnity 8. The Big Sleep 9. Night And The City 10. Kiss Me Deadly

Brilliant list - just spot on and on everything

Love those movies. Great, great movie taste pal

Can't go wrong with those picks. Michael Curtiz's The Breaking Point and Frank Borzage's Moonrise are two noirs I want to see more love for!

Wow great list Elliot! My favourite noirs are: Kubricks The Killing, The Maltese Falcon and In A Lonely Place

Great picks, Elliot! Speaking of Bogie and Bacall, I hope you have also seen the great Key Largo!

Nice list, again, Elliot. A lot of good recommendations here, and in the comments section (some of which I will need to purchase) which I will be venturing into this month. There doesn't seem to be much mention of 'The Blue Dahlia', which has a great Arrow Academy release, so I would like to put that recommendation forward for your viewers.

You should do a follow up on Neo-noir films like Chinatown, Drive, L.A. Confidential, Blade Runner and Body Heat. Hmm.. does Seven fit in here as well? It could.

As a big film fan, film noir is one genre I need to investigate more and I've recorded all your recommendations and will acquire them...thanks so much

Great list, the scramble for the great whatsit, I have the worlds least organised collection, you've inspired me to locate the noirs and organise them together for a viewing noirathon.

Great video! I've seen some of these, but not most. But I've now added a few of your recommendations to my list to check out. Recently I saw Woman on the Run, which I quite liked. PS: Your voice is so soothing, you should do ASMR videos! (Northern English, I'm guessing. Perhaps greater Manchester?)

Great review!

What a great exploration of this classic genre! I will have to explore it myself, this is a genre I love the look and atmosphere of, but shied away from it because of the complicated storylines. Have you seen the movie Budapest Noir?

My favorite noir will always be The Third Man.

Thanks . Great list! New subscribed.

interesting choices . I would also recommend : The Maltese Falcon ( my favourite noir ) The Big Combo Where Danger Lives Human Desire Nightfall Touch of Evil The Last Seduction ( modern day classic noir ) LA Confidential. ( also modern day classic ) Point Blank The Killers His Kind of Woman The Lineup And any number of Hitchcock , and Bogart movies.

Nice video. I love film noir movies. The Third Man and Touch of Evil missing though. Those two and Double Indemnity could be my top 3.

My father was married to Bette Davis . His name was William Grant Sherry. He was married to her from 1945 to 1950. My name is John Grant Sherry. I know so many inside stories about the both of them. I have kept quiet until now.

You picked a lot of good ones! Also very good are: Laura, The Asphalt Jungle, Kiss of Death, Gilda, and In a Lonely Place.

Nice video Elliot, though I'm surprised you don't have The Maltese Falcon?. Another historically unsung film noir would be Kansas City Confidential. Even features a small thug role from yet to be genre star Lee Van Cleef. It was considered pretty gritty, nihilistic, and dark for the fifties during the Hayes Code. You can see the influence it had on QT's Reservoir Dogs

Many thanks for your interesting movie list. Best wishes from Finland.

Great list, so many great candidates. Had seen FN on TV late movies, but, when I saw SUNSET BOULEVARD on a theater screen in 1972 I was Blown Away. Still am every time I watch it at home.

My favourite genre, great list, only one I don't own is "Leave her to heaven", which I don't think has had a UK blu ray release yet. The Lady Killers also by Alexander Mackendrick(Sweat smell of success), I would cheekily include as an usual entry, being colour,and a comedy, but very Noir in tone. Not forgetting The Third Man, 10 isn't enough!

I've always been a huge fan of Born To Kill with Tierney and Trevor. It's one I constantly rewatch

I love the film noir genre. Some classics on this list and some great commentary. There are several I haven't yet seen. My favorites have a private detective who drinks and smokes cigarettes, a beautiful femme fatale with a strange story, almost everyone is lying about something, and of course a murder. I find I'm appreciating the lighting effects with high contrast and shadows along with unusual camera angles.

Good list, and a few films in there that I’m gonna check out. With a list of 10 there are going to be omissions. The Third Man and Chinatown are two that I’d add

The Big Sleep is my all-time favorite movie. I own a Raymond Chandler book with all his works. I love it!

Nice list but 10 is very limited. I miss Laura, The Asphalt Jungle, Midred Pierce, The Postman always rings twice, Force of Evil, The Killers... and another fantastic film noir which is going to be released on Blu-ray soon: Nightmare Alley.

Perfect list. All the films mentioned are excellent film noirs.

Thanks so much for the list.... found you via Films At Home.... Any chance you can put links in the description for the videos down the line? Please keep up the great work, really nice.

Agree with all of these (that's I've watched, anyway). As cliché as they might be, I'd supply The Third Man and In a Lonely Place (if it fits the genre).

Gratitude for your praise of The Big Sleep -- some of the most enjoyable dialogue in all of filmmaking (and I learned by listening to an audiobook of the novel that most of it was Chandler's -- the novel makes great listening, Chandler is *hugely* underrated as a literary figure, there's a great version read by Elliot Gould).

I'm doing Noirvember for the first time this month. Double Indemnity is arguably the greatest film noir which I'll be revisiting. I also have The Big Heat in my collection which needs a watch. I had to order The Big Sleep from cex and The Lady From Shanghai in the indicator sale a couple of days ago so I can't wait to watch that one. Very surprised you didn't include Touch of Evil, The Killers or The Maltese Falcon in your list.

nice recommendations! this video would have looked great in black and white!

Just getting into film noir and decided to pick up Notorious from Hitchcock, so was surprised it didn't make your list. Also was surprised not to see Sunset Blvd since that was going to be my next pick up for the genre. Still a great video and always learn a thing or 2!

I love this channel. I would add some of the great British noir available now on Kanopy

Nice! Now you make me want to check out all of these!! Lol

This was refreshing! Noir lists are usually just about the same overworked grouping of titles but this was way more thoughtful. Good job!

Out of the Past, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard

Kiss Me Deadly is my favorite one! Great list🤘🏻

Great list! My 2 favourite film noir: The Big Heat and White Heat

The Maltese Falcon is #1 on My list. I do enjoy many of your videos.

One of my favorites that seems to be overlooked is Hitchcock’s “Shadow of a Doubt”. I love how on the surface it’s old fashioned and light hearted but underneath it’s a really dark film

I would add Criss Cross, Asphalt Jungle, The Lineup, Underworld U.S.A. and Violent Saturday.

Good list, double indemnity is my favourite Film noir ever l think (haven't seen ,gun crazy' yet)

Need to watch some more film noir!

Chinatown. Another film shot in colour but a quintessential Noir movie.

These never get enough credit. "Murder, My Sweet", 1944, Dir. Edward Dmytryk, and "He Walked By Night", 1948, Dir. Anthony Mann.

I just watched The Big Heat yesterday. It was just added to Amazon Prime as of May 1st.

Out of the Past is amazing. I can follow that plot well enough. I love The Big Sleep too but that I seem to understand less every time I watch.

I agree with all those noir selections except for Kiss Me Deadly. I have seen these so many times. A couple to add to the list are The Postman Always Rings Twice and The Asphalt Jungle.

I have to say Double Indemnity is the most purist film Noirs of all time.. always in the top ten of Noir lists.. it has every thing in it, the Fem Fatale, a man who is in, over his head, a script written by Raymond Chandler, from a James M Cain book... it has all the tropes, motifs, and style of Noir.. I have to say, it is number one of all time...

Brilliant choices, some I’ve not heard of. I would include in any list of Noir both The Third Man and Murder, My Sweet. The latter is based of Chandler’s novel Farewell, My Lovely and has Dick Powell as Philip Marlowe.

I love your choices, here. That scene in The Lady From Shanghai was also replicated in the Woody Allen film, Manhattan Murder Mystery. Blue Collar Lit.

Great selection.

Great list but I would add the Maltese Falcon and Chinatown as well keep up the great work.