Best Neo-noir Movies of All Time- Based on 15 Published Sources

Scene from L.A. Confidential (1997) ranked third neo-noir film of all time.

Welcome to our Reel Fives pre-launch movie rankings for the best neo-noir films of all time. Our Reel Fives team has found 15 published ranked lists of the top neo-noir movies published online and ended up with 32 movies that made the list. For each ranked list of greatest neo-noir films, we have taken the top five ranked films. The movie rankings of top neo-noirs that we aggregated are included at the bottom of this post and include rankings of the best movies in the neo-noir genre created by movie experts as well as rankings from polling sites, such as ranker.com.

Neo-noir films is derived from film noir. Film noir originated in the 1940s lasting through the 1950s as a style of crime dramas. The style includes black and white film as a means to reflect feelings of uncertainty and pessimism. Film Noir traces back to the German expressionist films of the 1920’s. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) uses light to depict evil and dread. After WWII, some in the film industry sought to capture the mixed feelings after WWII. While joy could be shared, society also realized that evil existed among them. Film noir emerged from the conflict between optimism and pessimism, good and evil, and innocence and experience. Neo-noir includes films made from 1960 onward that use the film noir style.

The films in the neo-noir genre give the genre depth and while most were not made in black and white, the films do reflect the feelings of uncertainty. In Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982), the all-time best neo-noir film, Rick Deckhard (Harrison Ford) questions humanity after meeting a replicant who has emotions. Deckhard’s current life in a dark Los Angeles questions everything he thought to be true. This theme is a commonality in other neo-noir films. Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974), ranked second, private detective J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) does not know who to trust after the man he thought he was working for is found dead. Gittes discovers a bundle of corruption, murder, and incest that affects the New York City water supply. In neo-noirs no one is purely benevolent often the dark side of characters are brought to light. Chinatown (1974) does just that and shows a hopeless world. Three types of cops unite to solve a series of murders in a 1950s Los Angeles in L.A. Confidential (1997), ranked third. Each officer must confront their own demons and work together to find the murder. The three types of cops reflect the neo-noir style. One cop goes by the book, follows his own rules in the name of justice, and a third cop is a corrupt force embedded among the ‘good guys’. In this sense, the neo-noir style shows how almost anyone can drift to the dark side when pushed hard enough to.

Neo-noir appeals to a specific audience and while this style may not please everyone, the cinematography and classic shots remain influential in other genres. For example, elements of neo-noir can be seen in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and even in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight (2008). Neo-noir’s darker colors add depth and we enjoy those unspoken elements. The rankings showed that Neo Noir stayed true to the element of crime and that the genre has its own classics, such as Chinatown (1974). 

 

Top 32 neo-noir movies based on 15 published rankings
Percent of online top fives movies appear in shown
1 . Blade Runner (1982): 80%
2 . Chinatown (1974): 66.6%
3 . L.A. Confidential (1997): 46.6%
4 . Brick (2005): 40%
5 . Memento (2000): 33.3%
6 . Body Heat (1981): 33.3%
7 . Mulholland Drive (2001): 33.3%
8 . The Long Goodbye (1974): 26.6%
9 . The Last Seduction (1994): 20%
10 . A History of Violence (2005): 13.3%
11 . Se7en (1995): 13.3%
12 . Lost Highway (1997): 13.3%
13 (tied). Point Blank (1967): 13.3%
13 (tied). The Usual Suspects (1995): 13.3%
15 (tied). I Want You (1998): 6.66%
15 (tied). Taxi Driver (1976): 6.66%
15 (tied). After Dark, My Sweet (1990): 6.66%
15 (tied). Heat (1995): 6.66%
19 (tied). Miller’s Crossing (1990): 6.66%
19 (tied). Shaft (2000): 6.66%
19 (tied). The Silence of the Lambs (1991): 6.66%
19 (tied). Blow-Up (1966): 6.66%
23 (tied). Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): 6.66%
23 (tied). Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988): 6.66%
23 (tied). Blood Simple (1984): 6.66%
23 (tied). Blue Velvet (1986): 6.66%
23 (tied). Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005): 6.66%
28 (tied). No Country for Old Men (2007): 6.66%
28 (tied). Sin City (2005): 6.66%
30 (tied). Fight Club (1999): 6.66%
30 (tied). The Man Who Wasn't There (2001): 6.66%
30 (tied). Devil in a Blue Dress (1995): 6.66%
Neo-noir Movie Ranking Sources
AMC	List of top 10 (link)
CinemaNerdz	List of top 15 (link)
WatchMojo	List of top 10 (link)
PopCrunch	List of top 16 (link)
High Fidelity Notes	List of top 5 (link)
Pretty Clever Films	List of top 5 (link)
Filmspotting	List of top 5 (link)
Screen Junkies	List of top 10 (link)
The Script Lab	List of top 10 (link)
Reed Rothchild's Movies and other Epic Stuff Blog	List of top 25 (link)
In Frame	List of top 10 (link)
Rankopedia	List of top 25 (link)
Captive Balance	List of top 15 (link)
Canvas	List of top 10 (link)
Fandango	List of top 11 (link)

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Best Workplace Movies of All Time - Based on 19 Published Rankings

Scene from Office Space (1999) ranked number one work place movie.

Welcome to our Reel Fives pre-launch movie rankings for the best workplace films of all time. Our Reel Fives team has found 19 published ranked lists of the top workplace movies published online and ended up with 38 movies that made the list. For each ranked list of greatest movies for the workplace genre, we have taken the top five ranked films. The movie rankings on top workplace movies that we aggregated are included at the bottom of this post and include rankings of the best workplace movies created by movie experts as well as rankings from polling sites.

Workplace based films, frequently through a comedy, capture the mundane lives led by ordinary people to create an interesting story. The films critique several elements of society and work. Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) and two of his coworkers decide to steal money from the soulless corporation they work for in Office Space (1999), the all-time best workplace film. The film critiques the paper pushing and Saturday workdays. The Devil Wears Prada (2006), ranked second, tackles the fashion industry’s need for perfection. Starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, the film critiques demanding bosses and shows how jobs alter behavior. The fashion industry demands precision, not leaving much room for error while addressing the desire for young people to break into their field of choice. From this we got a comical boss that was hypersensitive to even the smallest imperfections. Charles Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936), ranked fourth, delves into the life of one man who does not find modern times all that enticing. Much like Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927), the silent film critiques the roll of machinery in modern life. Workplace films critique some aspect of society and leave it to moviegoers to grapple with those questions in their own lives. Can people escape the 9 to 5 lifestyle? What would that look like? Do machines take humanity away from humans? How much should a young person sacrifice for their dream job? The films seek to contemplate those types of questions.

Workplace films showcase how the relationships built while working can impact life outside the workplace. Clerks (1994), ranked third, follows two men who both dislike their jobs as clerks and commiserate in their collective misery. Apathy would be too generous to describe the clerks, as their jobs are thankless and mundane, but they have each other to lean on and that makes their workday better. Aaron’s Sorkin’s Oscar winning screenplay adaption for The Social Network (2010), tied for fifth, looks at the dark side of workplace relationships. Based on founding of Facebook, the film captures how relations soured between co-founders and creator Mark Zukerberg. Not all workplace relationships can be harmonious. Up in the Air (2009), tied for ninth, focuses on work travel relationships and how those relationships can complicate things. Frequent flyer Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) meets another frequent flyer in Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) and while they enjoy each other’s company in their travels, it was not possible to extend this into their personal lives. Work and home have a place, and in this film, it shows how work travel affects home life. Relationships are important for workers to have to get through the day and they impact other areas of life.

The workplace genre rankings show the different directions the genre can take and we enjoy that. Not all the workplace films take place inside an office. Our rankings show that audiences like the variety of industries that are critiqued. While a traditional office can look boring, the film industry has made them interesting. The films are unique in that they can critique aspects of working life and of modern times. Older movies still matter because the problems do not go away. The genre still has room to grow as new industries begin to pop up.

Top 40 Work Place Movies based on 19 published rankings
Percent of online top fives movies appear in shown
1 . Office Space (1999): 73.6%
2 . The Devil Wears Prada (2006): 47.3%
3 . Clerks (1994): 47.3%
4 . Modern Times (1936): 26.3%
5 (tied). The Social Network (2010): 21.0%
5 (tied). His Girl Friday (1940): 21.0%
7 . Glengarry Glenn Ross (1992): 21.0%
8 . Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004): 15.7%
9 (tied). Up in the Air (2009): 15.7%
9 (tied). Nine to Five (1980): 15.7%
11 (tied). The Apartment (1960): 10.5%
11 (tied). Network (1976): 10.5%
11 (tied). Waiting... (2005): 10.5%
14 . High Fidelity (2000): 10.5%
15 . Fight Club (1999): 10.5%
16 . The Help (2011): 10.5%
17 (tied). Wall Street (1987): 10.5%
17 (tied). Working Girl (1988): 10.5%
19 . The Shop Around the Corner (1940): 10.5%
20 (tied). Baby Boom (1987): 5.26%
20 (tied). The Lives of Others (2006): 5.26%
20 (tied). Thank You for Smoking (2005): 5.26%
20 (tied). The Wolf of Wall Street (2013): 5.26%
24 (tied). In Good Company (2004): 5.26%
24 (tied). The Grapes of Wrath (1940): 5.26%
24 (tied). The Pursuit of Happyness (2006): 5.26%
27 (tied). The Princess Bride (1987): 5.26%
27 (tied). Boiler Room (2000): 5.26%
27 (tied). Sweet Smell of Success (1957): 5.26%
27 (tied). The Internship (2013): 5.26%
27 (tied). American Beauty (1999): 5.26%
27 (tied). Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013): 5.26%
33 (tied). Broadcast News (1987): 5.26%
33 (tied). Horrible Bosses (2011): 5.26%
33 (tied). The Secret of My Success (1987): 5.26%
33 (tied). Jerry Maguire (1996): 5.26%
37 (tied). Trading Places (1983): 5.26%
37 (tied). Monsters, Inc (2001): 5.26%
Workplace Movie Ranking Sources
Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE)	List of top 56 (link)
flickchart	List of top 180 (link)
Azcentral	List of top 10 (link)
Cheat Sheet	List of top 5 (link)
Ranker	List of top 31 (link)
Sky	List of top 5 (link)
Screen Crave	List of top 5 (link)
IMDb	List of top 25 (link)
CNN	List of top 5 (link)
Ragan	List of top 10 (link)
Cinema Sauce	List of top 10 (link)
Salary	List of top 10 (link)
Brazen	List of top 8 (link)
Landmark PLC	List of top 5 (link)
Bring The Noise	List of top 10 (link)
USA Today	List of top 10 (link)
The Workplace Depot	List of top 10 (link)
Sundance TV	List of top 10 (link)
Workflow Max	List of top 7 (link)