Film noir emerged in the 1940s as a style of black-and-white American crime and detective films that reflected the post-war era of anxiety, pessimism, and suspicion. The genre took advantage of the mood of the times to tell dark stories of anti-heroes embroiled in crime, violence, and moral corruption. Classic film noir developed between the 1940s-1960s and featured convoluted, nonlinear plots and foreboding music that kept viewers on edge. Common elements included corrupt characters like detectives, gangsters, and sociopaths in bleak stories that rarely had happy endings.

1. History of Film Noir Sophie Gilroy , Bradley Hope , David Leighton and Callum Wilson