Plot: In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child’s birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.

Future Noir Elements: Dystopian Police State, Visual Decay, Theo Faron’s “mission”

KBZ’s Take: It could be argued that Children of Men is not a true Future Noir film. And there’s many arguments to why it’s not. However, the more we have seen this film (and it’s one of our favorites), the more we feel it deservedly falls within the Future Noir film subgenre.

It does have elements of a Cyberpunk film with the Dystopian world and “High Tech, Low Life” themes. But it also does not have traditional Noir elements of a dark seedy world and detective-like narrative. However, we feel Faron’s mission falls within the scope of a Noir narrative (as he finds out more about a conspiracy) and a typical visual Noir look is substituted with a bleak, gritty world where hope is dying.

Either way, it’s a great film and one of the best of the entire Sci-Fi genre that shouldn’t be missed.

Additional Lists: Best Post-Apocalypse Films #12

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Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

Future Noir Elements: Dystopian world, seedy or untrustworthy characters, K’s investigation

KBZ’s Take: Like its former film Blade Runner (1982), the sequel can easily be categorized as both a Cyberpunk and Future Noir film. It has elements of both films and is one of the best films of both subgenres.

Where the film falls a bit more on the Future Noir spectrum end is with K’s investigation and brooding demeanor throughout the film. Detectives and their investigations are the foundation of Noir and Blade Runner 2049’s entire narrative is centered around an investigation. There’s also the numerous seedy and untrustworthy characters K encounters during the film that cements this as one of the best Future Noir films.

Additional Lists: Best AR & VR Films #13, Best Cyberpunk Films #11

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Plot: In a future society in the era of indefinite eugenics, humans are set on a life course depending on their DNA. Young Vincent Freeman is born with a condition that would prevent him from space travel, yet is determined to infiltrate the GATTACA space program.

Future Noir Elements: Dystopian future, murder investigation

KBZ’s Take: Andrew Niccol is second only to Christopher Nolan when it comes to making Hard Sci-Fi films. Niccol has written some of the most memorable films of the subgenre including Gattaca, S1m0ne (2002) which covered Artificial Intelligence and Anon (2019) which featured the dangers of Augmented Reality.

Niccol also incorporates Future Noir aspects into his films with the detective elements in both this film and Anon. With Gattaca, the primary character is the focus of an investigation where most Film Noir films feature the detective as the lead and their viewpoint.

Though Gattaca was released over 25 years ago, its concepts of genetic engineering were eerily accurate. Not only have advancements in genetics come closer to the fictional world of Gattaca, but the film’s social and legal implications of genetic engineering have guided academia and scientific policies regarding genomics and bioengineering.

Additional Lists: Best Hard Sci-Fi Films #10

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Plot: Traveling back in time isn’t simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030’s, James is recruited for a mission that will send him back to the 1990’s. Once there, he’s supposed to gather information about a nascent plague that’s about to exterminate the vast majority of the world’s population. But, aside from the manic Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), he gets little in the way of cooperation, not least from medical gatekeepers like Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe).

Future Noir Elements: Dystopian future, unique & dark visual style, Cole’s investigation

KBZ’s Take: Director Terry Gilliam has always been known for his unique visuals that are often Dystopian in nature – Time Bandits (1981), Brazil (1985) and 12 Monkeys. While his visual aesthetic isn’t used much when Cole visits the 1990’s, it’s on full display in the 2030’s world. It’s one of the strangest representations of a Post-Apocalyptic world that gives more depth to Cole’s eventual psychological condition.

The film also focuses on Cole’s mission in the past to find the cause of the virus that has decimated humanity. While his investigation doesn’t follow typical Noir Film tropes, his travels to the past combined with Gilliam’s visual style, make it a very unique Future Noir film.

Finally, it’s also worth checking out La Jetée (1962) (which 12 Monkeys is based on) if you want to see how some of the visuals from that film inspired Gilliam’s version.

Additional Lists: Best Time Travel Films #5

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Plot: Honest marshal in a corrupt mining colony in space, tries to stop a violent drug ring.

Future Noir Elements: Con-AM 27’s Dystopian Environment, dark and seedy settings, O’Neil’s investigation

KBZ’s Take: Outland is considered by many to be THE Sci-Fi Western film and we have to agree 100% with that assessment. It’s a great film that uses many popular Western film tropes but updated in a futuristic space setting.

It’s also the only film on our list that is a Future Noir Film with Sci-Fi Western hybrid. The third act of the film would fall firmly within the Sci-Fi Western subgenre whereas the first two acts of the film are much more Future Noir. Though the Dystopia of the film is never identified, the Con-AM 27 colony feels like a Dystopian society. There are also numerous locations in the colony that are darkly lit and feature seedy characters. And finally, the entire first two acts of the film are centered around O’Niel’s investigation of drug use throughout the colony.

Outland isn’t one of the first films you think of when hearing Future Noir, but it’s a film every fan of the subgenre shouldn’t miss.

Additional Lists: Top Sci-Fi Westerns You Haven’t Seen #2

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Plot: In 2035, where robots are commonplace and abide by the three laws of robotics, a technophobic cop investigates an apparent suicide. Suspecting that a robot may be responsible for the death, his investigation leads him to believe that humanity may be in danger.

Future Noir Elements: Somewhat Dystopian future, Spooner’s investigation

KBZ’s Take: Arguments can be made that I, Robot is a Neo Noir film in a futuristic setting. Though it’s not initially viewed as a typical Dystopian world, various elements revealed later in the film point to elements of a Dystopian society.

However, the main narrative of the film is a murder mystery and Spooner’s investigation into the NS-5 robot. Further strengthening its Noir roots, Spooner happens to hate robots.

Alex Proyas also has a very unique visual Noir template he has used in his previous films The Crow (1994) and Dark City (1998). He has full command of the Noir style even if it’s used to lesser effect in this film. And though the film is more action-oriented than most Future Noir films, its still a detective film at heart as Spooner works to discover how a robot programmed to not kill could commit murder.

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Plot: In the future, America is a dystopian wasteland. The latest scourge is Ma-Ma, a prostitute-turned-drug pusher with a dangerous new drug and aims to take over the city. The only possibility of stopping her is an elite group of urban police called Judges, who combine the duties of judge, jury and executioner to deliver a brutal brand of swift justice. But even the top-ranking Judge, Dredd, discovers that taking down Ma-Ma isn’t as easy as it seems.

Future Noir Elements: Dystopian future, numerous seedy characters and environments, Dredd’s investigation

KBZ’s Take: While Dredd is light on the investigative elements of a Noir, it more than makes up for it with its non-stop action, violence and unique worldbuilding.

The Dystopian world of Dredd exudes grittiness and decay with plentiful shady and untrustworthy characters – all cornerstones of Noir. However, it’s the non-stop action and violence in the film that’s unmatched by other films in the subgenre. Violence is often part of Noir films and Dredd delivers in abundance.

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Plot: A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.

Future Noir Elements: Mix of eras with Dystopian feeling, classic Noir characters, murder mystery

KBZ’s Take: We mentioned Alex Proyas’ visual Noir style in I, Robot above, but it’s in Dark City where he visually helps define the subgenre. Where Ridley Scott helped define a technological Dystopian environment in Blade Runner (1982), Proyas has transported the classic look and feel of 1950’s Noir films to a future environment dripping with mystery and despair.

Dark City doesn’t focus on many of the technological aspects often found in Future Noir but rather its characters – from John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) to Inspector Bumstead (William Hurt). These are characters that look like they’re right out of a classic 1950’s Noir murder mystery. And these Noir themes are the foundation for the film which also involves some of the most unique themes in the entire Sci-Fi genre.

Dark City bombed at the box office upon its initial release but has achieved cult classic status over time as fans have discovered the film’s brilliant combination of Noir and Sci-Fi.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/42yyZYy

Plot: In an overpopulated Earth, the world is running out of food. A New York police detective soon finds himself unraveling a worldwide conspiracy.

Future Noir Elements: Dystopian future, unique look of decay, murder investigation

KBZ’s Take: Though this is one of the most popular Conspiracy films there is, we are listing it so younger generations don’t miss out on this classic film. It probably has the best reveal of a conspiracy in any film and features an amazing cast with Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson and Chuck Connors.

We also mentioned the film’s unique Future Noir characteristics above from its unique visual style to its classic Noir murder investigation headed by Thorn (Heston). The investigative aspects of the film are straight out of 1950’s Noir films which make the eventual conspiracy reveal that much more impactful.

While the film is a bit dated, the Dystopian themes in the film are still relevant today and make the film a must-see of the Conspiracy Thriller and Future Noir subgenres.

Additional Lists: Top Films About Conspiracies You Haven’t Seen #8

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/40dmZeh

Plot: In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.

Future Noir Elements: Everything – this film set the bar for every subsequent Future Noir film

KBZ’s Take: This is probably the least surprising film on our list as Blade Runner has defined both the Cyberpunk and Future Noir subgenres. It’s a film that incorporated elements of both subgenres to such great effect that you can see the eventual branches emerging from this film to subsequent films in either subgenre. Almost every film in the Future Noir subgenre has built upon or been heavily influenced by the film’s themes and visual style.

Blade Runner is based on Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Dick, Screenwriters Hampton Fancher and David Peoples and Director Ridley Scott can all be credited with defining the template for Future Noir films. Dick’s short story laid the groundwork for the film and the core Noir elements of Deckard’s investigation into the Nexus-6 “Replicants”.  Hampton and Peoples helped build upon Dick’s story with classic Noir characters and plot devices. And Scott helped define the visual framework of what a Future Noir film should look like. Scott has had an influence on many different genres he’s worked in but none more so than Sci-Fi.

Watched together with Blade Runner 2049 (2017), there’s no better films in the Future Noir subgenre.

Additional Lists: Best Hard Sci-Fi Films #20, Best Cyberpunk Films #2

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