Neo-noir ?
I think it fits the bill....other films like this?
shareI think it's neo-noir, pal, but it's interesting that in an interview, John Dahl states that he never thought of it that way while filming it but thought of it more as a "silly black comedy". I personally have the theory that the best noir isn't purposely intended to be. The original movies like The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity definitely weren't labelled, but just had that quality which the French critic who gave it the name of film noir picked up on.
Captain Warren 'Rip' Murdock: I'm the brass-knuckles-in-the-teeth-to-dance-time type.
Agreed. They never set out to make 'noir' - it just became a style, then got a name. But I'm glad it happened - great movie genre!
shareI also feel this is a key to John Dahl's films. I doubt he really decides "I'm going to make a film noir", but he instead sets out just to make a gripping crime story and it naturally turns out noir. I'm very interested in seeing what he does with The Punisher 2 in which he continues the story of a comic book character. I suspect that will have more of a noir look to it than the first movie did.
Captain Warren 'Rip' Murdock: I'm the brass-knuckles-in-the-teeth-to-dance-time type.