Mixing film noir and science fiction isn’t easy. The bleak style of the first isn’t always translated into an interesting version of the latter. But in cinema, they have the potential to hold the perfect chemistry in order to form a backdrop capable of supporting compelling stories.
We took the time to put together a list of the best of that improbable yet functional mix. The future doesn’t look bright in these cinematic universes, but there’s something darker than that noir night, and that’s the soul of characters, machines, or other entities that range from the menacing to the simply evil.
11Soylent Green
Soylent Greenis one of the many great futuristic visions of a world dominated by corporate greed. One man’s journey takes him to the raw version of the truth in a world where the police use football helmets and people eat… well, you’ll find out. There’s a surprisingly working class, mundane aspect to the film that makes it more dramatic than it would have been otherwise.
10Ghost in the Shell
The 1995 anime film is still as relevant as it was in the past.The belovedGhost in the Shellis a neo-noir work of art about identity in the future where it’s an interchangeable trait. In the film, an android agent is hunting a powerful hacker when she enters a downward spiral that won’t easy to escape from.
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Terry Gilliam plays with fantasy inthe sci-fi masterpieceBrazil, but only from a visual perspective. It’s the only way dystopia works when Gilliam is trying to tell a complex story about love set in a future where governments dominate and control the population. Sometimes, sci-fi looks like a dream, but inBrazil, it’s simply a claustrophobic nightmare.
8Minority Report
Spielberg’sMinority Reportis very underrated. The sci-fi action film takes a darker turn and makes its second act a swift exploration at film noir during its peak. It’s without question, one ofSpielberg’s best performed filmswith Samantha Morton’s Agatha completely stealing the movie with her incredible character.
7The City of Lost Children
French visionary Jean-Pierre Jeunet’sThe City of Lost Childrenis a visual masterpiece that mixes fantasy with sci-fi in a bleak universe where a scientist is able to kidnap children to steal their dreams. He actually can’t dream and this has made him age rapidly. Again, there are a lot of fantasy elements, but it’s Jeunet’s style that makes us feel part of a world where daylight is utopic.
6Blade Runner 2049
Blade Runner 2049still feels like a sequel, but it’s an outstanding piece of work under its own terms and style.Denis Villeneuve really understood the value of a continuation that follows the same spirit of mystery brought upon a bleak, uncertain future. We can talk about sound design, but soundscape simply sounds better when referring to this great sci-f noir.
Upgradeis a modern action thriller that’s set in a futuristic world where enhancements aren’t just theories anymore. This is sci-fi at its core, but the dramatic aspect of the story is bleak, almost pessimistic. Written and directed by genre auteur Leigh Whannell, this is a film that simply gets better every time you watch it again.
4Strange Days
Kathryn Bigelow’sStrange Daysis more of a cyberpunk thriller, but considering the subject, it points towards a sci-fi conclusion under the shadow of a noir story set in the near future.James Cameron helmed the script alongside Jay Cocks, and of course the film is more sci-fi than expected. It has gained a cult status over the years, which begs the question: When’s a decent re-release coming?
Related:The 20 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time, Ranked
3Alphaville
Inthe great Jean-Luc Godard’sfilmAlphaville, nothing feels familiar but at the same time, everything feels grounded. Made in 1965, the film tells the story of a detective who travels to a distant planet to complete a mission we won’t reveal. It’s sci-fi noir, but it’s also a poignant film about finding love in the strangest, most improbable of places. One of the very first sci-fi noir films,Alphavilleis a masterpiece.
2Dark City
Alex Proyas’Dark Cityis an excellent film. It’s literally film noir mixed with a sci-fi element that makes no sense whatsoever until the ending arrives and your mouth drops. It’s visually stunning and very well-acted. Sadly, it’s also underseen. The plot is much too complex to try to describe in a few lines, so we’ll just say something: Perhaps we’re all in a simulation, but perhaps it’s not virtual.
