Film noir is a genre of stylish crime dramas from Hollywood's golden age that featured cynical attitudes and emphasis on sexual motivations. It is known for its low-key black-and-white visual style influenced by German Expressionism. Film noirs often had complicated, nonlinear narratives involving flashbacks and voiceovers. They typically featured flawed protagonists embroiled in crimes of passion, deception, and betrayal in dark, maze-like urban settings.