Russell Crowe holds back Guy Pierce as he looks at a dead body in LA Confidential
By
Dalton Norman
Published 4 minutes ago
Dalton is a freelance writer, novelist, and filmmaker from Orlando Florida. He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and pursues writing full-time. He is an avid reader, film buff, and amateur historian who also publishes novels on the side. Dalton graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Film and he often applies his industry-specific knowledge when writing about film and television. Along with his blog, Dalton's critical essays on film have been published in various places online.
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Film noir had a renaissance in the 1990s, and the decade produced a slew of gritty crime flicks and neon-drenched neo-noir classics. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, noir pushed the boundaries of censorship with its dark and violent stories of crime and deceit. Besides common story elements, noir was so-called because of its heavy use of light and shadow.
Visually, the best noir films left an indelible mark on film history and influenced generations of filmmakers. From a story standpoint, the sharp edges of noir were dulled somewhat by changing standards of taste that made the older films seem tame compared to what was shown on the nightly news. Nevertheless, noir had comebacks in various decades.
One such decade was the 1990s, and the angst of the genre fit right in with the irreverent period. Dozens of noir adjacent films were released in the 1990s, but only a handful truly mastered the movement. The best 1990s noir films not only embraced the classic tropes of the genre, but added new ideas to create something entirely original.
Red Rock West (1993)
Nic Cage leans against a gas pump in Red Rock West
Few 1990s films combined modern sensibilities with noir tropes like Red Rock West, and it remains a classic. Nicolas Cage stars as a drifter who is mistaken for a hired killer and gets wrapped up in deadly small town intrigue. The film could easily have been made in the 1940s, but its modern color palette is fresh and eye-catching.
The greatest strength of Red Rock West is its simplicity, and its twists are straightforward without feeling weak and uninspired. However, it's generic noir approach puts it below other '90s movies, because it doesn't really push that many boundaries compared to its contemporaries. Nevertheless, Red Rock West is a stellar film all around.
Bound (1996)
Gina Gershon whispers in Jennifer Tilley's ear in Bound
A few years before the Wachowski's revolutionized cinema with The Matrix, they delivered one of the most underrated movies of the 1990s with Bound. The neo-noir thriller concerns two women who decide to get back at an abusive mobster by stealing his money. Underneath the heist plot is an intriguing love story steeped in contemporary issues.
The lesbian love affair angle would have been too much for the original noir era, and it was even edgy for 1996. However, the earnest approach to the characters keeps Bound from feeling exploitative, and performances from Jennifer Tilley and Gina Gershon make things convincing. Bound is the ultimate hidden gem of '90s noir.
Cape Fear (1991)
Robert De Niro looks smug while smoking a cigar in Cape Fear
The original Cape Fear was one of the darkest thrillers of Hollywood's Golden Age, and Martin Scorsese's remake upped the ante. A lawyer and his family are tormented by a violent former client who was put away by his own attorney. Subtle with its neo-noir imagery, Cape Fear is an atmospheric nightmare from start to finish.
Robert De Niro's performance as Max Cady is one of the best of his career, and his villainous character is unabashedly evil. Cape Fear has noir sensibilities, but it eschews many of the tropes of the genre. Therefore, it falls short of several other '90s noirs in terms of legacy, though it's a chilling film that is still powerful today.
A Simple Plan (1998)
Three men look up while standing in snowy woods in A Simple Plan
The beauty of A Simple Plan is how it takes a well-worn concept and makes it new again. Three men discover a stash of money in the woods, and their plan to keep it quickly goes awry. Director Sam Raimi's quick wit is on full display, but A Simple Plan is not another goofy romp from the Evil Dead filmmaker.
The film embraces darker thriller elements, which adds to the suspense of the intriguing character drama. The film is bleak and sometimes borders on classic horror, but the basic elements of noir remain present throughout. As such, it is sometimes ignored in favor of more noir-centric films, but its quality is undeniable.
Jackie Brown (1997)
Pam Grier drives while looking suspicious in Jackie Brown
Describing Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown as just a neo-noir does a disservice to the crime thriller. A flight attendant is caught smuggling money, and decides to betray her boss and the federal agents on her tail. With Pam Grier in the title role, Jackie Brown is a throwback to the classic blaxploitation films of the '70s.
The film resurrects the gritty L.A. of Raymond Chandler without sacrificing its 1990s attitude. Tarantino adds to the noir genre with an ensemble that ranges from cynical to silly, and Jackie Brown is not limited by any of its disparate elements. However, its lack of commitment to genre knocks it down a few pegs in the pantheon of '90s noir.
Lost Highway (1997)
Bill Pullman talks on a phone while bathed in red light in Lost Highway
David Lynch was no stranger to the neo-noir genre, and Lost Highway was his own tribute to the genre. A jazz musician fears his wife is being unfaithful, while an auto mechanic falls for a mobster's dangerous girlfriend. The fragments of classic noir are just window dressing for Lynch's one-of-a-kind surrealist vision.
Visually, Lost Highway nails the signature accents of the noir genre, and even expands upon them with a hyperstylized approach to filmmaking. However, the overt surrealism is sometimes off-putting to certain audiences, and Lynch is an acquired taste. Nevertheless, Lost Highway is one of the best '90s noir films because of its unflinching originality.
Fargo (1996)
Marge points her pistol while looking shocked in Fargo
The Coen brothers, more so than any other filmmakers, were responsible for pulling noir into the 1990s. Fargo concerns a small town cop who leaves her sleepy hamlet to decipher a murder plot that leads back to a desperate car salesman. Equally goofy and shocking, Fargo is the 1990s cinematic aesthetic in a nutshell.
Beneath the black comedy elements is a compelling noir story that subverts the aged tropes from the Golden Age. Frances McDormand's Marge is an unlikely hero, and her performance is as hilarious as it is vulnerable. Fargo is undoubtedly one of the best '90s noirs, but its under-reliance on genre staples keeps it from being squarely pegged as noir.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Guy Pearce with LA Confidential costars Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey
Instead of putting a modern spin on noir, L.A. Confidential embraces all the classic elements from the genre's heyday. In the 1950s, three police officers investigate a murder that uncovers a web of corruption within the Los Angeles police department. Sweeping and grand, L.A. Confidential is the antithesis of the gritty noir films of the '90s.
The opulent period piece does such a good job of bringing the 1950s to life that it sometimes feels like it was ripped straight from the past. The glossy approach makes it unique, and it is very much a '90s mainstream blockbuster in its execution. L.A. Confidential is a quintessential '90s noir, but it has little connection to its decade.
Seven (1995)
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman listen to a telephone in Seven
One reason the original noir era ended was that it ceased being controversial, but Seven proved that the genre still had plenty of shock left. A retiring detective partners with a newcomer to crack a serial killer case involving the seven deadly sins. Bordering on horror at points, Seven blends pure terror into its intriguing detective story.
The 1990s was an important period for noir because it brought all sorts of new ideas to the genre. Seven matches the angsty attitude of the '90s, and borrows the visual sensibilities of noir to create an entirely new approach to cinema in general. David Fincher didn't just pay tribute to noir in Seven, he evolved the genre.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Uma Thurman smokes a cigarette in Pulp Fiction
Many noir films in the 1990s feel separate from the period in which they were produced, but Pulp Fiction is the most '90s noir film of the decade. Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece weaves together various crime stories into one massive narrative. Each scene explodes with the director's signature hip dialogue, and it is the natural evolution of noir.
Pulp Fiction is clearly inspired by classic cinema, but the inspiration doesn't keep it from being wholly original. Old noir ideas are revitalized with cheeky humor and overt violence, and Pulp Fiction revels in its ability to do what classic noir films couldn't. It's the best '90s film noir largely because it's one of the greatest movies of the decade.
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