noir-style backdrop

Movies with noir-style vibe

Brick

1. Brick

Drama Mystery Investigation Mystery Coming-of-Age Drama
7.1
20061h 50min

Overview

A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.

Themes

Neo-noir mood, Underworld power dynamics, Manipulation and betrayal, High school crime culture, Loner in crime underworld, Drug trade violence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Lucky Number Slevin

2. Lucky Number Slevin

Drama Thriller Crime Mystery Organized Crime
7.7
20061h 50min

Overview

Slevin is mistakenly put in the middle of a personal war between the city’s biggest criminal bosses. Under constant watch, Slevin must try not to get killed by an infamous assassin and come up with an idea of how to get out of his current dilemma.

Themes

Deception as leverage, Debt-driven manipulation, Identity misdirection, Mob alliance under strain, Dual loyalties under pressure, Self-preservation versus obligation

Available on

Apple TV
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Revolver

3. Revolver

Drama Thriller Crime Mystery Mind Game Thriller
6.3
20051h 55min

Overview

Hotshot gambler Jake Green is long on bravado and seriously short of common sense. Rarely is he allowed in any casino because he's a bona fide winner and, in fact, has taken so much money over the years that he's the sole client of his accountant elder brother, Billy. Invited to a private game, Jake is in fear of losing his life.

Themes

Deception within crime networks, Trust and betrayal under pressure, Debt as leverage and control, Illusion of luck and mastery, Risk, Ego vs money, Violence, And retaliation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Business

4. The Business

Drama Action Thriller Crime Organized Crime
6.6
20051h 36min

Overview

During the '80s, a young man named Frankie dreams of escaping London's South East region, and his mother's thug of a boyfriend gives him just the opportunity. After beating up the abusive beau, Frankie runs off to Spain, where he lands a job delivering a package to the dapper Playboy Charlie, a gangster who takes him under his wing. Working as Charlie's driver, Frankie is immersed in a world of fast cars and pretty women -- but all the excess could be his undoing.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty vs betrayal, Class aspiration and escape, Illicit economy and risk, Corruption and control, Addiction and escalation

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Batman Begins

5. Batman Begins

Drama Crime Action Superhero Action Organized Crime
8.2
20052h 20min

Overview

Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.

Themes

Fear as power, Institutional corruption and reform, Public persona vs private self, Underworld infiltration, Tech-driven city control, Vigilante justice dynamics

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Matador

6. The Matador

Action Comedy Crime Drama Thriller
6.7
20051h 37min

Overview

The life of Danny Wright, a salesman forever on the road, veers into dangerous and surreal territory when he wanders into a Mexican bar and meets a mysterious stranger, Julian, who's very likely a hit man. Their meeting sets off a chain of events that will change their lives forever, as Wright is suddenly thrust into a far-from-mundane existence that he takes to surprisingly well … once he gets acclimated to it.

Themes

Midlife crisis, Violence as performance, Deception and complicity, Illicit work ethics, Ambiguous loyalty, Ordinary life disruption

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Sin City

7. Sin City

Crime Thriller Organized Crime Modern Noir Thriller
8.0
20052h 4min

Overview

Welcome to Sin City. This town beckons to the tough, the corrupt, the brokenhearted. Some call it dark… Hard-boiled. Then there are those who call it home — Crooked cops, sexy dames, desperate vigilantes. Some are seeking revenge, others lust after redemption, and then there are those hoping for a little of both. A universe of unlikely and reluctant heroes still trying to do the right thing in a city that refuses to care.

Themes

Neo-noir mood, Based on graphic novel, Held captive dynamics, Mysterious killer dynamics, Based on comic universe, Black and white contrast

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

A Bittersweet Life

8. A Bittersweet Life

Action Drama Crime Organized Crime Tragic Drama
7.5
20051h 59min

Overview

Kim Sun-woo is an enforcer and manager for a hotel owned by a cold, calculative crime boss, Kang who assigns Sun-woo to a simple errand while he is away on a business trip; to shadow his young mistress, Hee-soo, for fear that she may be cheating on him with a younger man with the mandate that he must kill them both if he discovers their affair.

Themes

Power dynamics, Loyalty under pressure, Isolation and longing, Deception and cover-up, Risk and retaliation, Vengeance and consequences

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV
Amazon Prime Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Layer Cake

9. Layer Cake

Drama Thriller Crime Narcotics Crime Investigation Suspense
7.2
20041h 45min

Overview

When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin...

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Betrayal within crime networks, Informant deception, Ambition versus safety, Power dynamics in criminal hierarchies, Deception as business strategy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Consequences of Love

10. The Consequences of Love

Drama Thriller Psychological Drama Mind Game Thriller
7.5
20041h 40min

Overview

Every morning in a quiet Lugano hotel, Titta Di Girolamo dresses in the same suit, solves the same chess puzzles, and hides in the same silence, as if routine were a punishment he has agreed to serve forever. But when his gaze lingers too long on the bar’s elegant waitress and the mafia money he couriers demands absolute invisibility, Titta must choose between the safety of his prison and the dangerous possibility of being seen—and loved—at last.

Themes

Money as leverage, Crime networks and coercion, Social isolation and routine, Hidden past, Deception and pawned agency, Monotony vs longing

Available on

Criterion Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.