All of the movie data in this “listicle” is from imdb.com. This list is in no particular order, although you owe it to yourself to see these films before you die.
1. “Red Rock West” (1993) Starring Nicolas Cage, directed by John Dahl
Synopsis:
“When a promised job for Texan Michael fails to materialize in Wyoming, Mike is mistaken by Wayne to be the hitman he hired to kill his unfaithful wife, Suzanne.”
Brilliant direction in this gritty piece of neo-noir and exceptional acting by Nicolas Cage. Plenty of action and plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat and a spectacular ending.
2. “Scarlet Street” (1945) Starring Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett, directed by Fritz Lang
Synopsis:
“When a man in mid-life crisis befriends a young woman, her venal fiancé persuades her to con him out of some of the fortune she thinks he has.”
Fritz Lang was such a prolific director in the Weimar Republic and then in Hollywood when he came to the United States to escape the oppression of the Nazi party; he came with a few other directors at the time. Lang’s brilliance is equal to an Orson Welles in scope and bold vision.
“Scarlet Street” is a profoundly dark film, even by today’s standards let alone those of the Hayes Code in 1945. It was inspired by Jean Renoir’s 1931 film “La Chienne.” Still, it is disturbingly brilliant in its writing, acting, and direction (as is pretty much every film Fritz Lang directed). It delves deep into the disturbed psyche of a fragile and naïve artist, played brilliantly by Edward G. Robinson. The archetypal femme fatale is played quite convincingly by Joan Bennett as well. Watch out for quality if you choose to download “Scarlet Street” (it’s free because it is in the public domain).
3. “Blood Simple” (1984) Starring John Getz and Frances McDormand, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Synopsis:
“A rich but jealous man hires a private investigator to kill his cheating wife and her new man. But, when blood is involved, nothing is simple.”
“Blood Simple” is the directorial debut of the Coen Brothers and includes the very convincing acting of Frances McDormand as the cheating wife. McDormand would later work with the Coens on a bunch of projects, the most famous of which is probably “Fargo” (1996) where she played the pregnant police officer.
The acting isn’t the only stellar thing about this movie, however. “Blood Simple” is incredibly visceral, like a punch to the gut to get your attention and keep it. This visceralness is achieved through brilliant camera angles, the use of no dialogue in the most intense scenes, and the absence of a film score in those same scenes.
This visceral quality to the film can also be seen in the Coens’ later movies like “Fargo” (1996), “Miller’s Crossing” (1990), and “No Country for Old Men” (2007). “Blood Simple” however is where the Coens really found their stride in neo-noir film making. If you like any of their more intense movies, “Blood Simple” is well worth your time to watch.
4. “Double Indemnity” (1944) Starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck, directed by Billy Wilder
Synopsis:
“An insurance representative lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator's suspicions.”
“Double Indemnity” is a rather brilliant piece in writing, direction and acting. Raymond Chandler (the famous author of the Phillip Marlowe detective novels) wrote it with Billy Wilder (another German expatriate, like Fritz Lang, who came to Hollywood to get out from under the brutal hand of Nazi rule. His writing is brilliant, filled with twists and turns and brilliant captivating insanity. His cinematography reflects this as well. “Double Indemnity” is a classic that truly deserves the term “classic.”
5. “Mulholland Dr” (2001) Starring Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, directed by David Lynch
Synopsis:
“After a car wreck on the winding Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a perky Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.”
David Lynch’s films are always quite cerebral and one could say “surreal.” Lynch always delves quite deeply into the psyche of his characters and their subsequent psychological dysfunction. “Mulholland Dr” is no exception: the entire film is a waking dream. Lynch also never divides his films into chapters, he believes great art speaks for itself.
6. “Night of the Hunter” (1955) Starring Robert Mitchum, directed by Charles Laughton and Robert Mitchum
Synopsis:
“A religious fanatic marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real daddy hid $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.”
“Night of the Hunter” stands out so boldly because of Mitchum’s stellar and scary performance as the religious fanatic robber with tattooed knuckles. This was quite the role switch up for Mitchum who was used to playing the flawed good guy in movies like “Out of the Past” (1947). “Night of the Hunter” further set the course for Mitchum playing the bad guy in “Cape Fear” (1962).
7. “Blue Velvet” (1986) Starring Isabella Rosselini, Dennis Hopper, Kyle MacLachlan, directed by David Lynch
Synopsis:
“The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.”
“Blue Velvet” is a much more visceral film than director Lynch’s later efforts. It hits home with Dennis Hopper’s down right psychotic performance and Kyle MacLachlan as the naïve but heroic main character. This movie is what cemented the on-going relationship between MacLachlan and David Lynch, seeing its flowering in the early 90s noir TV show directed by Lynch: “Twin Peaks.” There are rumors swirling on the Internet about “Twin Peaks” returning as a series on Show Time. With MacLachlan playing agent Dale Cooper with the FBI and the rather ambiguous ending to the first part of “Twin Peaks,” if the series returns it should be very interesting, indeed.
8. “Lady in the Lake” (1947) Starring Robert Montgomery, directed by Robert Montgomery
Synopsis:
“The lady editor of a crime magazine hires Philip Marlowe to find the wife of her boss. The private detective soon finds himself involved in murder.”
The brilliance of “Lady in the Lake” does not just lie in Raymond Chandler’s stellar writing but more principally in how the story was communicated to the audience. Basically the entire movie was shot in P.O.V. style (Point of View Style), meaning we only see the main character when he looks in a reflective surface like a mirror. The parts where Marlowe is flirting with women and/or getting beat up by the thugs he is after are made even more interesting in using this filming style. Makes for a very interesting film.
9. “Scarface” (1932) Starring Paul Muni, directed by Howard Hawks
Synopsis:
“An ambitious and near insanely violent gangster climbs the ladder of success in the mob, but his weaknesses prove to be his downfall.”
Yes, the 1983 “Scarface” is a tweaked remake of the 1932 classic. Paul Muni is absolutely ruthless as a racketeer and gangster, played his part, even the reenactment of the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre to a scary tee. The original “Scarface” is brilliantly written right after the height of mob rule in the United States.
10.“Inland Empire” (2006) Starring Laura Dern and Jeremy Irons, directed by David Lynch
Synopsis:
“As an actress starts to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world starts to become nightmarish and surreal.”
Another surreal piece from David Lynch that is well worth watching for its nightmarish visions in a noir world slowly unraveling in the character’s psyche.
