Horror noir
Horror noir is a film subgenre that blends elements of both horror and noir. It combines the dark, atmospheric qualities of noir with the suspense and fear typical of horror, creating a hybrid genre that integrates aspects of both. These films typically feature a mysterious or unsettling atmosphere, often centering on psychological drama, tension, and darker thematic elements, particularly those related to crime and its consequences. Common themes include corruption, deception, isolation, alienation, violence, revenge, paranoia, and the unknown, all presented through the visual style of film noir. Horror noir often follows protagonists who face not only external threats, like supernatural forces, but also internal struggles.
A film genre of this type invites the audience or is meant to experience fear, suspense, and anxiety, often through supernatural or psychological themes. It encourages viewers to confront their deepest anxieties and explore the darker aspects of human nature, often through intense, unsettling situations. It typically aims to provoke an emotional response, whether through shock, terror, or a sense of unease, while also challenging societal norms and exploring taboo subjects. Unlike traditional noir, horror noir incorporates supernatural or occult elements, introducing unexplained and unseen events into the dark, shadowy settings typical of noir. The genre may include graphic violence, often linked to themes of revenge or retribution. This violence usually serves as a manifestation of deeper psychological or moral struggles within the characters.
Films described as horror noir films include Among the Living, The Mask of Diijon, The Night of the Hunter, The Phantom Speaks, The Red House, The Spiral Staircase, or, more recently, Blood Simple,'' Shutter Island, Lost Highway, and Mulholland Drive.''
History
The horror noir genre can trace its roots back to the broader development of film noir, which emerged during the 1940s. Film noir itself was shaped by a combination of American crime fiction, psychological thrillers, and European cinematic influences, particularly German Expressionism. This genre embraced dark visual aesthetics, with heavy contrasts of light and shadow, and psychological themes, often involving morally ambiguous or complex characters and bleak narratives.In the 1940s, horror and noir began to merge in cinema, with early examples showing that horror films and film noir were considered "virtually indistinguishable." As a result, this hybrid genre was rare and not yet well-defined. Many horror films from the 1940s through the 1950s adopted stylistic elements of film noir, including its use of shadows, contrast, and suspenseful atmosphere, although these films often had limited budgets. The economic conditions of the U.S. film industry in the 1940s and 1950s are known for the rise of B-grade films, particularly in the noir genre. B-films, produced quickly with lower budgets, often featured shadowy visuals and minimal sets, contributing to the distinctive noir style. The piece also explores the influence of German Expressionism on film noir, with directors like Fritz Lang and Billy Wilder bringing expressionist visual techniques to Hollywood. The Motion Picture Production Code also played a role in shaping the industry during this period. Additionally, neo-noir gained popularity, establishing a modernized interpretation of noir that contributed to the genre's ongoing evolution. The blend and crossover of horror and noir in mid-20th-century films highlights how these genres shared dark, atmospheric visuals and fatalistic themes. Examples include Nightmare Alley, Strangler of the Swamp, and Night Has A Thousand Eyes, which combined noir’s shadowy lighting with horror’s supernatural elements, as well as Val Lewton's Cat People, suggesting how the genres influenced each other, particularly during this era in which later films like Angel Heart continued to merge these elements. Such films bridged classic horror of the 1930s-40s and the genre’s resurgence in the 1950s.
In Horror Noir: Where Cinema's Dark Sisters Meet, Paul Meehan states that "when it first emerged as a genre during the 1940s, film noir derived its distinctive visual style from the horror film", meaning that as film noir emerged in the 1940s, it borrowed visual techniques commonly used in horror, thus forming a stylistic bridge between the two genres. Meehan further explains that "both horror and noir exist inside a haunted universe of night and fear first conjured by Germany's expressionist filmmakers in the 1920s", suggesting that both genres share a common atmosphere of fear and darkness, originally developed by German filmmakers of that era. The German Expressionist films of that era used intense shadows, strange angles, and eerie settings to create an atmosphere of unease and mystery. This style influenced later horror and noir films, giving them a “haunted” quality, where characters face a world filled with night, dread, and psychological tension. For instance, Blood Simple, the Coen Brothers' debut film, combines elements of horror and noir. It explores how the film pays homage to classic noir through themes of crime and betrayal while incorporating horror’s suspenseful atmosphere and stylistic tension. By blending these genres, Blood Simple creates a unique tone, playing with audience expectations and genre conventions. This approach is believed to have helped establish the Coens' distinctive cinematic voice.
The horror noir genre has evolved through a mix of horror and noir elements, first rooted in German Expressionist films of the early 20th century, like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which used stark lighting, exaggerated shadows, and psychological themes that influenced both horror and film noir. As film noir emerged in the 1940s and 1950s, its themes of moral ambiguity and fatalism began to blend naturally with supernatural or unsettling horror elements, leading to some of the first horror noir films. For example, Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People utilized film noir’s shadowy visuals to evoke a suspenseful, supernatural horror atmosphere, setting a model for horror noir storytelling that explores complex, often unsettling themes in human nature and society.
In the 1960s and 1970s, directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski continued to evolve the genre with films like Psycho and Rosemary’s Baby, which combined psychological horror with noir’s tense, shadowy style, creating a sense of paranoia and existential dread. More recent films have expanded horror noir's scope to include contemporary societal fears, as seen in works like Get Out, which blends horror noir techniques with social critique on race and identity, and Nightcrawler, which combines psychological horror with a noir lens to examine media ethics and ambition.
Key developments in the film genre
Origins and early examples
Some early examples of horror noir appeared as film noir rose in popularity. Films like Cat People and I Walked with a Zombie, directed by Jacques Tourneur, are often cited as pioneers of horror noir. Produced by RKO, these films combined horror with noir visuals, using shadows, ambiguity, and psychological suspense.1950s and 1960s expansion
The blending of horror and noir elements continued through the 1950s and 1960s, as Cold War anxieties and social tensions found expression in horror genres. Horror noir films like Night of the Hunter and Carnival of Souls further cemented the genre, incorporating noir’s visual and thematic style with horror’s psychological and supernatural elements.Revival in neo-noir and 1980s cinema
In the 1970s and 1980s, neo-noir and horror noir saw a resurgence, with films like Angel Heart and Body Double adding noir aesthetics to horror narratives. These films explored darker psychological themes and were visually influenced by noir’s stylized lighting and shadow effects, often set in urban landscapes.Modern influence
Contemporary horror noir continues to be seen in films such as Se7en and Sin City, which use noir elements to heighten horror’s impact, emphasizing psychological horror and moral complexity.Cinematic style
In horror noir films, typical elements from classic film noir, such as low-key lighting, intricate plots, morally complex characters, and confined or urban settings, are used to enhance horror themes. Originating in the 1940s and 1950s, film noir focused on crime stories and featured dark visuals and morally conflicted characters. In horror noir, these noir elements are combined with horror themes, including supernatural aspects like or that might involve ghosts, monsters, or other unsettling figures. These films often take place in shadowy urban settings and involve protagonists who are haunted or psychologically disturbed. Both horror and noir genres share a sense of doom and fatalism, creating atmospheric tension and eerie visuals that define the horror noir style.A hallmark of both noir and horror noir is the use of chiaroscuro lighting, a technique from German Expressionism that creates stark contrasts between light and dark. This use of light and shadow reflects inner conflicts, as well as the duality of good versus evil, common in horror noir themes. For instance, horror noir often uses shadowed environments, such as urban decay or desolate interiors, to evoke feelings of isolation or entrapment.
Another common technique is Dutch angles and low-angle shots, which create a sense of disorientation and unease, complementing horror noir’s psychological complexity. These angles make scenes appear unstable, which can mirror the instability or moral ambiguity of characters. Additionally, distorted reflections—seen through mirrors or broken glass—are frequently used to symbolize fractured identities or distorted perceptions, particularly in stories dealing with supernatural or psychological horror.
Horror noir also employs nonlinear narratives and flashbacks, which are common in classic noir and serve to layer complex backstories that gradually reveal characters’ motives. This technique builds suspense and mystery as pieces of the plot are revealed out of order.
Films such as Angel Heart and Se7en employ noir’s visual style—shadowy, high-contrast lighting, urban desolation, and claustrophobic framing—alongside horror elements like serial killers or the supernatural to intensify the suspense.