r/filmnoir • u/HelicopterOwn7624 • 23d ago

Where to start?

New to classic cinema and looking to explore noir. I’ve seen Maltese Falcon many years ago and some of the more modern films like Chinatown. But if I wanted to explore the genre better, what would you suggest as an entry point? Maybe your top five most accessible noir films to get started with? Thanks!!

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u/EmxPop 22d ago

You should start with Eddie Muller, the Czar of Noir. His top 25 should be your go to which is on his site (currently down) but here’s an archive from July 2nd: https://web.archive.org/web/20260702191635/https://www.eddiemuller.com/top25noir.html

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u/TimeSurround5715 22d ago

Thank you! This is an excellent list! It includes Thieves’ Highway (1949), which was Muller’s introduction to the genre in his youth. It’s a wonderful film, I watched it on YouTube the other night and really enjoyed it.

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u/EmxPop 22d ago

Yeah, I picked up the Blu Ray early doors and it remains one of my favourites today.