Horror-Noir
Between the murder, degeneracy, and oppressive dark mood, the line between noir and horror is about as solid as a wisp of cigar smoke. The genres have a good deal in common. And the result is a smattering of spooky films in the classic film noir and neo-noir tradition that blur the boundaries between the gothic and the gumshoe.
Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942)
Serbian fashion designer Irena (Simone Simon) and marine engineer Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) fall in love and hastily marry. But Irena won’t consummate their union for fear of a dark secret that could put Reed’s life in danger. Like many of the low-budget horror films Val Lewton produced for RKO, Cat People would prove foundational to the atmospheric shape and feel of classic noir in the 1940s. Drawing from German expressionism’s dramatic use of light and shadow, the film conjures a moody and distinctly psychological atmosphere that upends the shambling monster-driven fare that preceded it.
Notable noir vibes: A rather literal femme fatale, fatalism, and an atmosphere so thick you’d need a chainsaw to cut it.
Eyes of Laura Mars (Irvin Kershner, 1978)
Penned by none other than horror master John Carpenter, Eyes of Laura Mars tells of a provocative fashion photographer (Faye Dunaway) who unwillingly finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. While wrapped up in accusations that her photographs glorify violence, Laura develops visions where she sees, in first-person, through the eyes of a killer as they murder her friends and peers. As the deaths start to mirror Laura’s own work, she begins an affair with the lieutenant in charge of the case (Tommy Lee Jones). Part giallo, part film noir, Eyes of Laura Mars is a solid, stylish ’70s murder mystery founded on the underlying darkness of merely looking.
Notable noir vibes: Morally shakey law enforcement, voyeurism, and a killer on the loose.
Angel Heart (Alan Parker, 1987)
A down-and-out New York City P.I. named Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is hired by the shady Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to locate a missing blues barfly known as Johnny Favorite. Angel’s investigation takes him to New Orleans, where he becomes embroiled in a series of ritualistic murders. Armed with unnerving brutality and slow-burning knife-twists, Angel Heart successfully melds noir tropes and southern gothic undertones with Americana spins on the Faust myth. This one is not for the faint of heart, as it were.
Notable noir vibes: Nicknames, amnesia, and unpaid debts.
Related Topics: Film Noir, The Noirvember Files
