Film Noir: Cinema’s Dark Streets and Dangerous Desires

About 85 years ago, a new kind of crime film emerged in the United States. Darker, moodier than what had come before, French critics called it "film noir" (dark film). Dark in style and dark in worldview, it gave us trenchcoat-wearing gumshoes and sultry femme fatales, and brought the audience into a night world of danger, obsession, paranoia, and alienation.

Born from the anxieties of the mid-20th century, film noir reflected a world of danger, uncertainty, and shifting social values. Join us as we trace the history of noir, from its early roots through its classic era and the lasting influence it left on cinema.