Film noir is not a clearly defined genre (see here for details on the characteristics). Therefore, the composition of this list may be controversial. To minimize dispute the films included here should preferably feature a footnote linking to a which states that the mentioned film is considered to be a film noir by an expert in this field, e.g.
The terms which are used below to subsume various periods and variations of film noir are not definitive and are meant as a navigational aid rather than as critical argument. Because the 1940s and 1950s are universally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir, films released prior to 1940 are listed under the caption "Precursors / early noir-like films". Films released after 1959 should generally only be listed in the list of neo-noir titles.
Precursors / early noir-like films
1927
1928
1929
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
Non-American
- La Chienne (1931, France)
- M (1931, Germany)
- Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (The Testament of Dr. Mabuse) (1933, Germany)
- La Bandera (Escape from Yesterday) (1935, France)
- The Green Cockatoo (1937, United Kingdom)
- Pépé le Moko (1937, France)
- La Bête Humaine (The Human Beast) (1938, France)
- Hôtel du Nord (1938, France)
- Le Quai des brumes (Port of Shadows) (1938, France)
- They Drive by Night (1938, United Kingdom)
- Dead Men are Dangerous (a.k.a. Dangerous Masquerade) (1938, United Kingdom)
- Le Dernier tournant (The Last Turning) (1939, France)
- Le Jour se lève (Daybreak) (1939, France)
- On the Night of the Fire (a.k.a. The Fugitive) (1939, United Kingdom)
- Pièges (Personal Column) (1939, France)
Classic American noir
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
American color noir
British noir
1942
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
International noir
Classic-period crossover films
Noir Westerns
Miscellaneous crossover films
Noir comedies / parodies
See also
Notes
References
External links