In the 1940s and 1950s, film noir became arguably Hollywood's most popular film genre, with crime dramas and thrillers adding darkness to the already popular gangster genre. While gangster movies were one of Hollywood's original most successful film genres, film noir did something different. This genre often put regular people into the spotlight as they had to decide whether they would break the law to achieve their goals, and film noir usually emphasized that those who did step over that line could never return.

These movies owe much of their existence to pulp novels of the time. Authors like owes much to German Expressionism, with movies like M and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse as an early influence. It is also notable to understand that the original film noirs and later neo-noirs like Chinatown are different.

10 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

A Woman Convinces Her Lover To Kill Her Husband

While the best movie about a boyfriend murdering his lover's husband is Double Indemnity, the 1946 film noir The Postman Always Rings Twice is easily as good as that more popular release. Based on the 1931 James M. Cain novel, this story had already been adapted in other countries, but Hollywood knocked it out of the park with Lana Turner delivering one of her best roles as the femme fatale, Cora Smith.

John Gardner is one of the best film noir actors everyone should know, but his character, Frank Chambers, had no chance when Cora got her hooks into him. When Cora convinces Frank to kill her husband, Nick, the two pull it off but then find that getting away with murder is never easy. While this is nowhere near as polished as Double Indemnity, it shows the seedier side of film noir and ends perfectly, where everyone pays for their crimes.

9 In A Lonely Place (1950)

A Screenwriter Is Suspected Of Murder

If there is any actor known best for the film noir genre, it is Humphrey Bogart. The legendary actor appeared in no fewer than 20 film noir films over his career, and some of them are among the best in the genre's storied history. He played Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe in hard-boiled adaptations by the masters, but he also took on a lesser-known role in another masterpiece, In A Lonely Place.

In A Lonely Place is more of a commentary on fame.

Bogart plays Dixon Steele, a screenwriter suspected of murder who falls for his lonely neighbor Laurel (Gloria Grahame). Less a story of detectives, In A Lonely Place is more of a commentary on fame, similar to later films like Sunset Boulevard and All About Eve. This is a story of toxic love and obsession, and as Laurel starts to doubt his proclaimed innocence, their relationship fractures, even when the truth is uncovered, too late, in the end.

8 Out Of The Past (1947)

A Small-Town Gas Station Owner's Past Comes Back To Haunt Him

Out of the Past is a film noir that Roger Ebert considered the best of its time. Robert Mitchum stars in the film as Jeff Bailey, an ex-private investigator who becomes a gas station owner when he leaves that life behind. However, he is forced back into action when a former employer he double-crossed shows back up in his life. Bailey has to leave his happy life and head back into a life he wants nothing to do with.

This is a perfect setup for a film noir, and it utilizes the themes from film noir to great effect, from the femme fatale (played by Jane Greer) to the idea that a man can never leave his past behind. While he isn't a PI when the film begins, Mitchum plays into the same kind of characters that Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe made famous. Considered one of the best film noirs ever made, the Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 1991.

7 Touch Of Evil (1958)

A Murder Investigation Uncovers Police Corruption

Despite making Citizen Kane, arguably one of the best movies in Hollywood history, Orson Welles seemingly couldn't catch a break. Between the movies he couldn't get made, the studio interference on those he did, and the lack of attention to his other masterpieces, Welles was underappreciated his entire career. This includes his movie Touch of Evil in 1958, which critics dismissed upon release but became a celebrated film noir years later.

Touch of Evil has one of the best opening scenes in film noir history. A happy couple crosses the Mexican border in a three-minute single take before a car explosion leaves dead bodies and a mystery for the police to solve. When the American detectives seem to want to frame someone for the murder, a Mexican detective wants to find the truth. Touch of Evil was released in Welles' original design in 1998 and remains a beloved film noir classic.

6 The Big Sleep (1946)

A Philip Marlowe Mystery With Humphrey Bogart

In 1946, Humphrey Bogart brought the legendary Raymond Chandler private investigator Philip Marlowe to life on the big screen in The Big Sleep. He stars in the movie alongside his real-life wife, Lauren Bacall, as the daughter of a man who hires Marlowe and who soon falls in love with the private detective. The movie, directed by Howard Hawks, is full of plot holes and makes little sense, leaving some mysteries unsolved.

Despite its often confusing and unresolved storyline, it speaks wonders that The Big Sleep still stands as one of the best film noirs ever made. Its black-and-white photography is beautiful, the relationship between Bogart and Bacall is electric, and the character moments, pacing, and set design help this movie remain known as one of the best in the genre. The Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 1997.

5 Laura (1944)

Investigating The Apparent Murder Of The Title Character

Otto Preminger is one of Hollywood's most iconic directors. His movies earned 38 Oscar nominations, although they only won three. The movie that started it all, and Preminger's first win, was the 1944 film noir Laura. This film noir actually ends with a killer stalking his victim while a radio broadcast plays with the killer talking about history's greatest lovers. That alone makes this something special, but the film also starts with the supposed death of the title character.

When Laura turns out to still be alive, the film leads to a twisted and dark final moment.

Laura is unique among other film noirs because the story is mainly told from the point of view of her friends and associates as they share gossip about her, leading to the mystery of who would kill this woman. However, when Laura turns out to still be alive, the film leads to a twisted and dark final moment, which is shockingly dark considering the Hays Code at the time normally prevented these endings. The Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 1999.

4 The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

A Jewelry Robbery In The Midwest

Most film noir films focus on detectives in the middle of a dark crime or a case of people making terrible decisions that lead to their demise. However, another form of film noir that led to some great releases came in the form of heist movies. The best is the John Huston 1950 movie, The Asphalt Jungle. The movie is based on the W.R. Burnett novel and tells the story of a jewelry robbery in the Midwest.

Sam Jaffe stars as a criminal mastermind who is released from prison and immediately hires a crew to pull off a huge robbery that could be worth half a million dollars. Between the heist planning and the plans of the mastermind to double-cross his associates, this film noir plays out as a tense thriller that remains one of crime cinema's most influential movies. It received four Oscar nominations, including Best Director, and entered the National Film Registry in 2008.

3 The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The Quest For A Rare Statuette

Humphrey Bogart played Dashiell Hammett's private detective, Sam Spade, in the brilliant 1941 film noir The Maltese Falcon. The character was created for the 1930 novel of the same name, and Bogart's movie was the third version, the best of them all. Directed by John Huston, the movie follows Spade and others searching for a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette.

Mary Astor plays the femme fatale who hires Sam Spade, but everything this woman says seems to be a lie. To make the film noir even better, Sam Spade doesn't seem to care as long as he gets paid. The falcon itself was a MacGuffin, and one that was only there to lead viewers on a fun journey with a great PI and a perfect femme fatale. The movie was one of the first to enter the National Film Registry in 1989.

2 Double Indemnity (1944)

An Insurance Salesman Plots To Kill A Client's Husband

Billy Wilder directed what might be one the best film noirs to define the genre, and the best movie about a man killing his lover's husband. The term "double indemnity" is an insurance term that pays out double if a person dies of a strange cause (such as murder or a terrible accident). In Double Indemnity, an insurance salesman starts an affair with a woman and agrees to help kill her husband to get her a substantial insurance payoff.

Barbara Stanwyck plays the femme fatale, Phyllis, and Fred MacMurray is the insurance salesman she seduces and gets to help her achieve her plan. Wilder adds everything a film noir fan would want, from the sense of danger to the great dialogue. However, what steals the show is Stanwyck, who delivers a perfectly evil performance as a woman who will do anything and hurt anyone to get what she wants. Double Indemnity earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.

1 The Third Man (1949)

A Man Travels To Vienna After His Friend's Apparent Death

The Third Man is not only one of the best film noir movies ever made, but it is one of the best films regardless of genre and is among the best British movies in history. Carol Reed directed a brilliant movie with striking black-and-white cinematography inspired by German Expressionism and a great script by Graham Greene. Joseph Cotten plays Holly Martins, a man who travels to Vienna to see his friend Harry Lime. However, Lime, played by Orson Welles, died before he arrived.

The problem is that Holly sees Lime after his death and realizes that his old friend faked his death. This has sucked Holly into the shadows of a giant conspiracy that could see him dead if he doesn't make the right decisions. Orson Welles delivers one of cinema's best monologues, and the final result is a film noir movie that stands the test of time. It has a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score and won the Oscar for Black and White Cinematography.