What is the best FILM NOIR in the CRITERION COLLECTION?

It's Noirvember, so what better time to celebrate some of the best Film Noir movies in the Criterion Collection.

[NickPiers]

It's not in the Criterion Collection, but there's a film noir film I WISH they would put in there: Out of the Past (1947), with Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, and Jane Geer. It's just a phenomenal movie.

[rgordon]

No obnoxious background music, no shouting over the top narration...thank you!

[gregoryrobinson]

I love all your choices. Film noir is one of my favourite genres. I also enjoy Double Indemnity, The Big Sleep, Night and the City, Touch of Evil, The Maltese Falcon, The Asphalt Jungle, The Killers, Key Largo, Brute Force, Out of the Past, Sunset Boulevard, The Lady from Shanghai, The Third Man, The Killing, Call Northside 777, Laura, Gun Crazy etc...

[jselectronics]

My 95 year old Mom died recently. We tried to get her to watch these old movies with us, her reply was I seen em all when they were in the theater, I don't need to see em again. My wife and I watched them many times, stopping and going back to catch a phrase, look up a minor character actor, etc. We wrung all we could out of them.

[zincChameleon]

My favourite quote from Kiss Me Deadly is: "A double bourbon! Is it 10:00 am already?'"

[DSelwyn]

Double Indemnity, Nightmare Alley, The Asphalt Jungle, The Killing, Night of the Hunter.

[j.anderson]

Detour is one of the greatest films I've ever seen.

[richardmcleod]

Who couldn't love Ann Savage and Tom Neal in "DETOUR". The opening scene of the California desert will remain in your memory. An amazing film sadly not known by many people.

[SPCEANDWLF]

Damn, no mention of Double Indemnity! Good list regardless!

[jaredmiller]

The only thing that I would add would be Double Indemnity which I was elated came to the collection. That and Mildred Pierce are in my top 30 favorite films. I have steadily added more Criterion noir to my collection (next will hopefully be Kiss Me Deadly!) and a handful are blind buys. I just picked up Gilda in October and watched it today for the first time and was blown away by Hayworth and Mate's cinematography. Pickup was also a blind buy and I agree that Widmark knocks it out of the park.

[Telstara]

DARK PASSAGE with Bogie & Bacall is a good one....Agnes Moorehead is in there, too. Great character actors in the periphery, too. written by David Goodis, if the name means anything to you - I love his stuff.

[blueduck]

D.O. A. (1950) It was so good it has been remade at least three times. Detour is also a great noir.

[iakona]

To me The Asphalt Jungle has a real feeling of greatness when I watch it. Moviemaking does not get much better than that!

[BrianR]

Can't believe you didn't mention my absolute favorite film noir on Criterion...THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, which I've probably watched more times than any of the ones you mentioned, all of which I have in my collection.

[XLCOR]

My favorite noir movies have a Los Angeles or California setting.

[poetcomic]

Kudos for including Fuller's Pickup on South Street. Thelma Ritter was devastating as a police informer who goes around selling neckties to men as though she were offering them nooses to hang themselves. Her death scene is best thing she ever did - from the darkest pits of noir.

[artprince]

Other great noirs: Double Indemnity, Postman Always Rings Twice, The Blue Dahlia, This Gun for Hire, The Glass Key, The Maltese Falcon, The Third Man, Touch of Evil, Kiss of Death, Tension, Odd Man Out, The Killers ( with Burt Lancaster), Night and the City, The Big Heat, The Killing, Laura, Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Big Sleep, and the Woman in the Window. These are from the Classic noir period of 1940s and 50s.

[franceswalker]

Great black and white movies are tops....I'm a fan.

[GammaDuck]

One that I learned about reading a book on noir that I absolutely love, and is available from Criterion, is Ride the Pink Horse. If you haven't seen it, can't recommend it enough.

[JimmyPlaylists]

Tough, tough choice! _In A Lonely Place, High & Low, The Killing, Double Indemnity, Detour, Kiss Me Deadly, Blast Of Silence, Stray Dogs, Pickup On South Street, Naked City..._ there are many more I'm forgetting. Criterion is a buffet of incredible film noir!

Edit: _Blast Of Silence_ is an *unbelievable* little gem that many more need to see! CC needs to put it out on Blu-Ray. I can't forget _Ace In The Hole, _ either... one of Wilder's best. Absolutely incredible performances.

_Down By Law_ should be mentioned, as well - a "neo-beat-noir-comedy" as the director put it lol... my favorite Jarmusch. Pure perfection.