Certain genres that were once integral parts of Hollywood filmmaking have recently been mostly dormant, save a few exceptions in each case. Film genres such as westerns and screwball comedies, which at one time reigned supreme at the box office, now maybe see only a few releases every year and even less successes. The musical was one of these genres until recently, with several high profile releases over the past year specifically (such as In the Heights, West Side Story, and Tick, Tick…Boom!) revitalizing the genre, both honoring the classics that came before it and bringing it forward into the modern day. And with the recent successes of Nightmare Alley and The Batman, it appears that the noir genre could be trending in that same direction.

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Bradley Cooper in 'Nightmare Alley'
Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures

One of the major reasons why noir is making a comeback is the same reason why it became such a beloved genre at its inception. Currently, the world is in a scary and uncertain place. There is a pandemic that’s going into its third year, there’s global military conflict, and in America many political divisions are growing deeper and wider, which is causing aggressive, sometimes violent reactions. And to add on top of it all, the internet makes it, so we can see every terrible thing going on in the world all at once, in real time. It’s a scary time to be alive and aware.

When noir first came to prominence in the early 1940s, the world was in a similar state of upheaval. The Great Depression was reaching its conclusion, but its end was helped by the beginning of a global war and the Holocaust. Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, and suddenly nowhere seemed safe. Europe was being overrun by a dictator looking to commit ethnic cleansing and eradicate the Jewish people, and people didn’t know if they could trust their neighbors. After years of having to go without due to a severe economic depression, now people had to ration certain items to have enough supplies to send overseas to the soldiers fighting in World War II.

In such terrifying times, some people find solace in a world just as dark and depressing as their own (if not more). This is where film noir steps in. Film noir focuses on the dark underbelly of the world. The gangsters, crime, people with few morals and little hope. And by watching these stories, with their pessimistic worldview and bleak endings, people can leave with a sense of hope because surely the world they’re living in isn’t that bad. And people can feel seen on screen, their own feelings of anxiety and alienation reflected back at them.

Some people like to insist that in tough times, people like to escape. And that people prefer happier escapist films. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, the escapist films were the screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby and The Palm Beach Story, and musicals like Singin’ in the Rain and On the Town. And it’s not like there aren’t escapist genres in the present day, they’re just different. Every year huge superhero blockbusters get released that are the definition of escapist cinema, films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Guardians of the Galaxy. And animated films also often serve this role, films like Encanto and The Mitchell’s vs. the Machines.

nightmare alley movie image bradley cooper and Cate Blanchett
Image via Searchlight Pictures

So noir fills the role with being escapist in a darker way. Which is where the modern neo-noirs are finding success. Nightmare Alley was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The Batman is currently the biggest movie in the world. And even smaller noirs, and noirs that also cross into other genres, are also finding success. But these noirs are successful because, even though the morals and tones are muddier and darker, they still feature stories and themes that resonate with what is going on in today’s world and how people feel about these current events.

Nightmare Alley is about a grifter who cons his way from homelessness to great success, but keeps conning himself into more and more dangerous situations. People today are beginning to become fed up with con artists and snake oil salesmen who seem to be moving up and gaining more success despite being noticeably bad people. Seeing a man like this, despite being a period piece set in the late 1930s and early 1940s, get a cruel comeuppance is not just escaping into a movie for an audience, is a dark, sadistic type of wish fulfillment. The real life bad guys might not get what’s coming to them quickly, but by the time the lights have come up, Stan Carlisle has.

The Batman Threatening Penguin
Image via Warner Bros

And The Batman is a detective noir film take on the classic DC superhero. The villains are all realistic takes on the characters that could be based on people in our world, especially Riddler’s radicalized legion of followers who will commit major crimes for revenge on his own internal conflicts. The way the internet has helped radicalize susceptible people into doing unthinkable things is a trend people have been witnessing in frighteningly increasing numbers over the past few decades. By then watching Batman beat up and take out these characters, it’s a release, and it makes the fears we have around these people be alleviated for even just a few moments seeing them ultimately fail in their plans.

And even smaller noirs have found success. I’m Your Woman was a critically acclaimed noir from 2020. And 2021, along with Nightmare Alley, saw the releases of The Card Counter and No Sudden Move, both made by esteemed filmmakers with big name casts, both receiving rave reviews. And over the second half of the last decade, crossover and less traditional noirs like Hell or High Water, You Were Never Really Here, and Uncut Gems found success with critics and audiences alike.

Certain genres are seeing a big boost currently. Musicals have found themselves back in the spotlight after a dark period. But the current uptick in noteworthy noirs, while at first seeming out of left field, is actually the perfect genre for the current moment. In a scary, uncertain world, noir has historically been able to soothe and entertain the public, despite its dark tones and attitudes. And with where the world is right now, noir is perfectly suited to pick up where it left off in its last golden age.