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Twenty-first century noir

The term film noir may have come to refer to a body of US films made between 1941 and 1958, but it also conjures up a potent blend of cinematic style and dark material that still inspires directors around the world, among them the most formidable names in Hollywood and in arthouse cinema: Nolan, Lynch, Campion, Mann, Ceylan… The 15 films below – updated from the 12 we presented in our February 2013 issue – represent an attempt to gauge the essence of noir in the 21st century – a genre that allows filmmakers to push the envelope of narrative construction, while also addressing the themes that haunt us, from memory loss to compulsive violence to transgressive sexuality.