The Neo-Noir Subgenre Explained

gamerant.com:

When it comes to subgenre and media aesthetics, it can be hard to write any sort of guidelines that defines the general look and feel of a given genre. Like horror, screwball comedy, and many other oddly specific types of media, the only real way to identify most examples is to «know it when we see it.»

The term «neo-noir» is thrown around pretty frequently when describing anything with a grim tone, a mystery subplot, and/or a limited color palette. Whether it's misspelled in the title of a triple-A video game or being applied to each new version of Batman, noir is very much still a factor in modern media.

This Classic Neo-Noir Is Essential Viewing For Fans Of The Batman

Film noir is a fascinating cross-cultural interplay that became instantly iconic and stunningly influential. Though the term was used occasionally throughout the late 30s, it was popularized by Italian-born French film critic Nino Frank in 1946. During World War II, American films weren't made available in occupied France, leaving critics like Frank to catch up on some excellent pieces he missed once the conflict ended. Frank took in films including Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity, Fritz Lang's The Woman in the Window, and John Huston's 1941 adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon and perfected their description.

The term simply translates to «dark film,» referring to the exceedingly grim outlook on humanity that the genre wears like a three-piece suit. American Great Depression-era «Hardboiled» fiction, such as Hammett's aforementioned opus, served as the primary narrative influence on the genre. Stylistically, film noir borrows many of its cinematographic techniques from German Expressionism. The grim, yet realistic, view of life and its