noir
n. uncountablen. a style of film or fiction that is dark, moody, and often shows crime or mystery. It usually features cynical characters and shadows.
n. a genre of crime film or fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity. Often associated with low-key lighting and urban settings.
The movie is a classic example of Hollywood noir.
The director used heavy shadows and a rainy city backdrop to give the thriller a distinct noir feel.
While originally a cinematic movement of the 1940s, noir has evolved into a literary aesthetic that explores the darker impulses of human nature through a lens of inevitable tragedy.
Shortened from film noir, and from French noir. Doublet of negro.
Often used as a modifier before another noun (e.g., 'noir film', 'noir fiction').