Black Widow

Relocating the genre from its shadowy urban interiors and onto the golden beaches of Hawaii, Bob Rafelson's sun-drenched contemporary noir is a much discussed queer classic. Theresa Russell stars as the 'black widow' of the film's title, a woman who marries a succession of wealthy men, only to murder them and take their money. Pitted against her is probing journalist Alex Barnes (Debra Winger), who sets out to uncover the femme fatale, yet becomes obsessed with her along the way.

Those who celebrate the film have argued the case for its feminist credentials and subversive play on traditional gender roles within the film noir genre, while its detractors see it as little more than a male fantasy writ large. Either way, it's a fascinating film, loaded with sub-text and intrigue, that stands up today as one of the most wickedly pleasurable examples of queer noir.