A world-weary detective, a seductive femme fatale, a mysterious murder – these elements of classic film noir live again in more recent hardboiled detective films from Chinatown to Sin City. But the themes and styles of noir have also spilled over into contemporary films about gangsters, cops and serial killers (Reservoir Dogs, The Departed, Se7en). New hybrid genres have been created, including psycho-noirs (Memento), techno-noirs (The Matrix) and superhero noirs (The Dark Knight).

Beginning with an introduction that shows how neo-noir has drawn upon contemporary social and historical events as well as the latest technological advances in filmmaking, this book discusses the neo-noir films that have made the biggest splash in the field (‘landmarks’), the directors who have become cult figures of neo-noir, (‘auteurs’), films from non-English speaking countries (‘international’) and neo-noirs that put a new spin on past noirs (‘remakes’).

The main credits and a plot summary are given for each neo-noir, followed by an in-depth analysis containing original insights into the meaning of the film. ‘Factoids’ also present fascinating facts, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and lively quotes from the cast and crew.

Douglas Keesey is a professor of film and literature at California Polytechnic State University. His published books include Catherine Breillat, Don DeLillo, Erotic Cinema, Peter Greenaway, and Paul Verhoeven.