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The Genre I Never Thought I'd Like

Posted on Thursday, October 19, 2017 1:51 PM

Photo from Double Indemnity

“Goodbye, baby” Fred MacMurray murmurs a split second before the gun goes off. In another film, wheelchair-confined James Stewart peers through binoculars into his neighbors’ lives, puzzled. From the shadows of Hollywood creeps suspense and mystery in the form of film-noir.

This is the genre of darkness. This is the genre of thrillers. This is the genre I never thought I’d like.

I took a film class recently, and watched several films that I never would have picked up if not for the curriculum. I tend to lean towards dramas, rom-coms, and some action movies, not thrillers or horror movies (which becomes a problem around this time of year). So when the instructor introduced the genre of film-noir, I was a little wary. However, halfway through Double Indemnity, I fell in love. Something about the suspense intrigued me, and I love a story that scrubs away the facade of normal life to reveal the darkness underneath.

Rear Window Movie PosterFor those looking for movies that have a thriller element but don’t want the intensity of something like Blade Runner 2049It (which still gives me nightmares), or Happy Death Day, movies like Double Indemnity and Rear Window—two of my favorites—are a perfect choice.

Not everyone has the opportunity or the time take a film class to find new genres, however, and it certainly isn’t necessary to push your boundaries. Giving a film that you’re unsure of a chance can do the trick. Who knows, you might find a new favorite!

Ed Note: Check out the following film-noir movies!

Top Film-Noir Movies

The IMDb lists the following movies as the top five highest rated Film-Noir movies (with at least 1,000 votes from their visitors):

  1. Sunset Boulevard [1950]
  2. Double Indemnity [1944]
  3. The Third Man [1950]
  4. Dial M for Murder [1954]
  5. White Heat [1949]

Some of these movies are playing now, or will be played in a theater in the future, so be sure to add them to your Favorite Movies list so you can see when they appear at a theater near you!



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Please Note: These comments are submitted by the readers of The BigScreen Cinema Guide and represent their own personal opinions, and do not represent the views of The BigScreen Cinema Guide, or any of its associated entities.

Oct 19, 2017 - Robert VIP Member

Some personal favorites (questionably in the genre):

-Maltese Falcons
-Rebecca
-Blade Runner (original, one of my favorites) 

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