The popularity of crime thrillers has not diminished much since the noir genre began, with most films typically following the same story beats - unyielding detectives sinking into a troubling mystery that envelopes and corrupts everyone involved. As the genre progressed, filmmakers creatively broadened the limitations of these tropes with unlikely protagonists taking the place of grizzled detectives, and unusual mysteries that reveal more about the characters and the world they’re entrenched in.
While many modern noirs, like Se7en or Prisoners, still follow this detective-centric format, others have changed up these details by featuring complicated private investigators, good-natured criminals, and entertaining deadbeats. These tweaks have led to genre-bending neo-noir films with unconventional sleuths, vibrant world building, and captivating mysteries.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
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A master of the “buddy cop” genre, Shane Black returns to form with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The film finds a New York City thief unintentionally teaming up with a flamboyant private investigator and an aspiring actress to crack a Los Angeles murder investigation. This unlikely and inexperienced trio stumbles through this mystery, as the suspects and bodies pile up.
The heart of this movie lies within its three perfectly cast leads - Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan. Their rich chemistry, and the script’s razor sharp dialogue propels this film that simultaneously pays homage and subverts typical film-noirs.
Drive (2011)
Nicolas Refn’s Drive follows a reserved stunt driver and mechanic, played by Ryan Gosling, who moonlights as a wheelman for Los Angeles’ criminals. Reluctantly becoming mixed up in his neighbor’s criminal dealings, this mysterious loner races to discover who set them up after a job gone wrong.
With neon-soaked visuals and haunting electronica soundtrack, this modern crime thriller does more with less, as its quiet protagonist violently unravels, revealing his true nature. Featuring understated performances by Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, and Bryan Cranston, Drive is a fresh and surprising addition to the genre.
Under the Silver Lake (2018)
This genre-bending mystery dives into the world of a Los Angeles slacker connecting dots to find a striking young woman who vanishes from his life the day after they met. Following any symbol and sign he can find, this lazy loner’s quest to locate this missed connection leads him down a road of strange, comical, and unsettling conspiracies and folklore.
David Robert Mitchell’s follow up to the underrated horror It Follows hones in on his unique visual style, casting a dream-like atmosphere that permeates throughout the LA setting. Featuring another amazing performance by Andrew Garfield, he embodies this all too real lost boy-man searching for answers allowing him to show off his strong comedic chops.
No Sudden Move (2021)
Steven Soderbergh’s most recent crime thriller drops us into 1950s Detroit, as two professional street criminals retrace their steps to discover why they were hired on a job set up to fail. No Sudden Move floats between an assortment of seedy, slimy characters as they uncover a sprawling conspiracy, that’s larger than they imagined.
Featuring solid performances by a deep cast led by Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro, the film follows the money from the shadows to the corner office. Soderbergh is one of the top directors working today, crafting another sleek and expansive tale about the evils of greed and how it affects those of certain classes differently.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as a Gulf War veteran and New York City fixer hired to locate a politician’s kidnapped daughter, You Were Never Really Here is a stark crime thriller that mines through the dark and brutal criminal underworld of human trafficking. His latest mission consumes this quiet brute, as conspiracy and violence ravage his world and those around him.
From prolific and unparalleled director, Lynne Ramsay, this grim and unforgiving film is not for the faint of heart. At a swift 89 minutes long, Phoenix wades through this heavy, dream-like mystery, giving a haunting and understated performance as a troubled man tasked with finding answers.
The Nice Guys (2016)
Another underrated addition from Shane Black, The Nice Guys takes place in 1970s LA and finds a “down on his luck” private investigator and a tough guy fixer reluctantly working together to uncover a conspiracy involving the death of a famous porn star and a missing young woman.
Much like Black’s other Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, this film is highlighted by the unmistakable chemistry between Ryan Gosling’s witty P.I. and Russell Crowe’s quietly, sensitive brute. The antics that take place between these two leads, along with a well fast-paced script and carries the film through an atmospheric Los Angeles landscape.
Memento (2000)
With a unique structure and visual language, Memento follows the scattered and unpredictable clues of a man with short-term memory loss to track down his wife’s murderer. As the story progresses both forwards and backwards, the film twists and turns between past and present to discover the truth behind the central crime and who was behind it.
Christopher Nolan may be known for the massive scale of his most recent films, his second feature is grounded and condensed, still utilizing his knack for time-bending story structure. The protagonist’s memory loss allows for a wholly distinctive movie-viewing experience that uses an unreliable narrator to muddy the waters and keep the audience guessing up until the film’s final moments.
Pig (2021)
The Nicolas Cage renaissance is alive and well with a gripping, stark thriller from first time director Michael Sarnoski. After receiving a brutal beating during a home robbery, a grimy hermit and renowned truffle-hunter tracks down his stolen pig, using his respected reputation in the underground of the Oregon cuisine-industry.
Pig is a film that benefits from going in knowing as little as possible, featuring an Oscar-worthy performance from Cage as a towering outsider with a shadowy past. While there is the central mystery of the stolen truffle pig, the heart of the movie revolves around Cage’s unpolished recluse and the slow-burn reveals surrounding his character.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
One of the biggest cult films of all time, The Big Lebowski follows aging stoner and slacker, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, seeking reimbursement for his soiled rug after a case of mistaken identity lands him in the crosshairs of debt collectors, European nihilists, and the millionaire with the same name. With the help of his two eccentric bowling buddies, The Dude meanders around Los Angeles to solve a slew of seemingly random mysteries, hoping to return to his comfy life.
This Coen Brothers film is emblematic of their signature comedic and cinematic sensibilities, swapping out a detective or private investigator, for a lax and irresponsible journeyman who has little interest in the plot he’s been forced into. Packed full of unforgettable and zany characters, this film is thrives on it’s hilarious script, excellent visuals and the iconic performances of Jeff Bridges and John Goodman.
Brick (2005)
After discovering the body of his ex-girlfriend, a teenage outcast becomes hell-bent on uncovering the truth by navigating the complex world of high school cliques and hierarchy. The intelligent and unyielding young lead investigates this violent crime to reveal a much larger and more insidious conspiracy.
The directorial debut from writer/director Rian Johnson, Brick takes all the tropes of classic noirs and drops them into the complicated dynamics of high schoolers. Featuring a breakout performance from Joseph Gordon Levitt, this film’s unique premise simultaneously honors and tweaks the noir genre to magnificent effect.
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Ben Affleck’s first film behind the camera is an incredibly directed and acted crime thriller that utilizes it’s cast and location perfectly. Starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan as private investigators tasked with locating a young girl who disappears from the rough streets of South Boston, the film eludes expectations with shifting plot twists and larger conspiracies.
The rest of the cast is rounded out by outstanding performances from veteran actors Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris, also garnering an Oscar nomination for Amy Ryan’s transformative turn as a struggling single mother from a tough Boston neighborhood. Affleck’s poignant and skilled direction pays respect to his hometown and it’s people, crafting a truly heartbreaking story that foreshadows a deserved career as an accomplished filmmaker.
Inherent Vice (2014)
An underappreciated addition to Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterful catalog of films, Inherent Vice chronicles the kooky, drugged-out Private Investigator, Larry “Doc” Sportello, as he’s hired to track down his ex-girlfriend in 1970s Los Angeles. Bouncing around from lead to lead in his California beach community, Doc’s strange journey gets stranger as he stumbles into answers that occasionally end up finding him.
Adapted from a book of the same name, Inherent Vice may find its audience in the years ahead, with Joaquin Phoenix turning in a quietly hilarious performance as a pot-addled P.I. Like many of P.T. Anderson’s films, there is little hand-holding with this unconventional plot and dialogue. Containing rich visuals, stylish set pieces and pitch-perfect supporting performances from Josh Brolin, Katherine Waterson, Owen Wilson, Martin Short, and many, many more, this film takes its audience on a wild ride that stays true to the source material.
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Taking place in the unyielding winter landscape of Stockholm, disgraced investigative journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, is hired by a wealthy businessman to re-examine what happened to his niece who went missing 40 years ago. With the help of the brilliant and tortured private investigator, Lisbeth Salander, this unlikely duo dig into this Swedish industrialist’s dark family history to uncover a decades long mystery.
A master of the modern thriller, David Fincher’s adaption of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an expertly crafted neo-noir that commands your attention with sharp direction and amazing performances from Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. At 158 minutes long, this engrossing film covers a lot of ground, delving into complicated histories of its two leads and the over-arching mystery that implicates a splintered family disinclined to reopen old wounds.