All articles tagged with #noir
Vulture critic Niela Orr argues that Colson Whitehead keeps subverting expectations by retooling noir, horror, and adventure tropes to spotlight Black experiences, shifting from playful humor to sincere tenderness and using familiar forms to reveal emotional resonance—from The Intuitionist (1999) to his later work—showing there are no hard rules to storytelling, only fearless reinvention.
An aesthetically lush but narratively thin WWII spy drama, Moulin follows Jean Moulin with noir lighting and striking 35mm photography, but its conventional biopic approach and lack of broader context render the film visually arresting yet emotionally flat and overlong, failing to fully interrogate its subject or the war around him.
Mouse: PI For Hire fuses rubberhose-era cartoon visuals with a noir detective story and tight, satisfying gunplay across varied handcrafted levels, delivering a uniquely stylish FPS experience on PC (and consoles) while suffering from late‑game difficulty spikes and a few underwhelming weapons.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire fuses a noir detective story with hand-drawn, rubber-hose 1930s animation and old-school shooter action. In previews you play as private mouse detective Jack Pepper, blasting through cultists with a varied weapon set, solving puzzles (including a tail-based lockpick), and exploring an open Mouseburg with upgrades at the B.A.N.G. workbench. It aims for a mature cartoon vibe and launches April 16, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S.
A new indie 2D noir card battler, Project KILLDANCE from Toge Productions, released on Steam January 15 and is completely free to download with no microtransactions. It’s already earning a 96% Very Positive rating from around 58 reviews, with players praising its blend of turn-based and bullet-hell action and short playthroughs (about 20 minutes). The title originated from the 2023 Toge Greenhouse game jam, and developers hint at potential expansion due to strong feedback.
The Lowdown is a character-driven noir series featuring Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon, a quirky Tulsa-based truthseeker, blending regional specificity with a witty, textured world-building that explores themes of power, privilege, and resistance, all filtered through Harjo's distinct creative vision.
Ethan Hawke stars as a gritty Tulsa journalist in 'The Lowdown,' a noir series exploring corruption, local history, and the fight for truth, emphasizing the importance of local journalism and community character.
Ethan Hawke stars as a gritty Tulsa journalist in FX's 'The Lowdown,' a noir series that depicts his relentless pursuit of truth through physical and emotional hardships, set against a backdrop of corruption and power struggles in Oklahoma.
'The Lowdown' is a quirky, off-kilter noir series starring Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon, a charismatic yet exasperating investigator in Oklahoma, blending humor, mystery, and a deep love for 70s crime movies, created by Sterlin Harjo. The show features vivid characters, sharp dialogue, and a playful tone that balances charm and chaos, making it a compelling and entertaining watch.
Colin Farrell stars in the Apple TV+ series "Sugar" as a private investigator obsessed with classic cinema, but the show's attempt at blending noir with another genre falls flat, and a twist in the plot fails to redeem it. The series struggles to balance its dueling mysteries, with the investigation into a missing person feeling generic and Farrell's character's personal life kept at arm's length. Despite the stylish cinematography and fine performances, "Sugar" ultimately disappoints, with the big twist unable to overcome unwelcome cliches and the series feeling like it should have been condensed into a pilot episode or movie.
The trailer for the upcoming cyberpunk-noir detective game "Nobody Wants To Die" showcases a self-aware, hard-boiled narrative set in New York in 2329, featuring cool hover-cars and consciousness transfer technology. Players will take on the role of detective James Karra to solve crimes using advanced cyberpunky gadgets, including a time-rewinding device. The game is set for release later this year.
Kristen Stewart stars in the intense thriller "Love Lies Bleeding" at Sundance, portraying a character involved in a passionate and dangerous relationship with a competitive bodybuilder. The film, set in the late Eighties, is a mix of sex, violence, and surrealism, with a focus on queerness and pitch-black nihilism. Stewart's performance cements her as a queer icon, while co-star Katy O'Brian delivers a career-defining role. The film is a hot and intense experience that leaves a lasting impression.
"Batman: Caped Crusader" footage was screened at the Annecy Festival, showcasing a brooding and ultra-noir style of animation. The upcoming series is expected to delve deeper into the Dark Knight's psyche and explore his origins in a new way.