Film noir had a renaissance in the 1990s, and the decade produced a slew of gritty crime flicks and neon-drenched neo-noir classics. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, noir pushed the boundaries of censorship with its dark and violent stories of crime and deceit. Besides common story elements, noir was so-called because of its heavy use of light and shadow.

Visually, the best noir films left an indelible mark on film history and influenced generations of filmmakers. From a story standpoint, the sharp edges of noir were dulled somewhat by changing standards of taste that made the older films seem tame compared to what was shown on the nightly news. Nevertheless, noir had comebacks in various decades.

One such decade was the 1990s, and the angst of the genre fit right in with the irrev

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