The Big Sleep
The Metaindex > Film > Films > Top 10 film noir titles, by the Guardian and Observer’s critics

Top 10 film noir titles, by the Guardian and Observer’s critics

“Guns, dames and hats: you can’t have a film noir without them, can you?” said the Guardian. The list below shows that “things aren’t that simple”.

These are the ten best film noir titles according to the critics of the Guardian and Observer.

[amazon template=custom_thumbnail&asin=B01ACP59XA&search_text=%TITLE%&title=The Big Sleep Howard Hawks]
1. [amazon text=The Big Sleep&template=custom_title&asin=B01ACP59XA&search_text=%TITLE%&title=The Big Sleep Howard Hawks] (1946)
Director: [amazon text=Howard Hawks&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Howard Hawks] Stars: [amazon text=Humphrey Bogart&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Humphrey Bogart], [amazon text=Lauren Bacall&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Lauren Bacall], [amazon text=John Ridgely&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=John Ridgely]
[amazon text=Amazon&template=custom_text_price&asin=B01ACP59XA&multi_cc=1&search_text=%TITLE%&title=The Big Sleep Howard Hawks]
[amazon template=custom_thumbnail&asin=B00C2IJJLO&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Chinatown Roman Polanski]
2. [amazon text=Chinatown&template=custom_title&asin=B00C2IJJLO&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Chinatown Roman Polanski] (1974)
Director: [amazon text=Roman Polanski&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Roman Polanski] Stars: [amazon text=Jack Nicholson&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Jack Nicholson], [amazon text=Faye Dunaway&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Faye Dunaway], [amazon text=John Huston&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=John Huston]
[amazon text=Amazon&template=custom_text_price&asin=B00C2IJJLO&multi_cc=1&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Chinatown Roman Polanski]
[amazon template=custom_thumbnail&asin=B00I3C1T1Q&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Touch of Evil Orson Welles]
3. [amazon text=Touch of Evil&template=custom_title&asin=B00I3C1T1Q&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Touch of Evil Orson Welles] (1958)
Director: [amazon text=Orson Welles&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Orson Welles] Stars: [amazon text=Charlton Heston&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Charlton Heston], [amazon text=Orson Welles&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Orson Welles], [amazon text=Janet Leigh&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Janet Leigh]
[amazon text=Amazon&template=custom_text_price&asin=B00I3C1T1Q&multi_cc=1&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Touch of Evil Orson Welles]
[amazon template=custom_thumbnail&asin=B00U8O6IE0&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Double Indemnity Billy Wilder]
4. [amazon text=Double Indemnity&template=custom_title&asin=B00U8O6IE0&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Double Indemnity Billy Wilder] (1944)
Director: [amazon text=Billy Wilder&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Billy Wilder] Stars: [amazon text=Fred MacMurray&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Fred MacMurray], [amazon text=Barbara Stanwyck&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Barbara Stanwyck], [amazon text=Edward G. Robinson&template=custom_search&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Edward G. Robinson]
[amazon text=Amazon&template=custom_text_price&asin=B00U8O6IE0&multi_cc=1&search_text=%TITLE%&title=Double Indemnity Billy Wilder]
Out of the Past Jacques Tourneur

5.

Out of the Past

(1947)

Director: Jacques Tourneur
Stars: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas

Amazon
$16.53

The Third Man Carol Reed

6.

The Third Man

(1949)

Director: Carol Reed
Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli

Amazon
$79.99

Elevator to the Gallows Louis Malle

7.

Elevator to the Gallows

(1958)

Director: Louis Malle
Stars: Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Georges Poujouly

Amazon
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Blood Simple Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

8.

Blood Simple

(1984)

Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Stars: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya

Amazon
–

Kiss Me Deadly Robert Aldrich

9.

Kiss Me Deadly

(1955)

Director: Robert Aldrich
Stars: Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart

Amazon
–

They Live by Night Nicholas Ray

10.

They Live by Night

(1948)

Director: Nicholas Ray
Stars: Cathy O’Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva

Amazon
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The Guardian (founded in 1821) is a British national daily newspaper, and the Observer (founded in 1791) is its Sunday sibling. They are amongst the most influential papers in the world. The Guardian and its journalists have won numerous journalism awards, especially in the last decades.

Source: The Guardian
Last checked on: 16 January 2016
Image: The Big Sleep