There’s no finer time to watch noir than in November, affectionately referred to in the film community as ‘Noirvember’ (courtesy of film critic, Marya E Gates, who coined the term). Filmhouse will have pairings each Sunday throughout the month, so make sure you don’t miss these.

Shakedown and Nightcrawler 

A crime photographer obsessed with getting the scoop to the point he becomes increasingly involved in the story revealing his true insidious nature. Wait, which film am I talking about? Shakedown feels like a very direct precursor to Nightcrawler, and pairing these two has long been on my mind. 

Sunday 1 November. 

Detective Story 

William Wyler’s police drama follows Kirk Douglas as a detective who sees no shades of grey going about a day in the bullpen. Stealing the show are Eleanor Parker, who plays the wife to Douglas’s character, delivering a scene which will completely knock your socks off, and Lee Grant as a shoplifter, in what is truly a masterclass in character acting. It’s no surprise that they were both nominated for Academy Awards. 

Sunday 8 November. 

The Long Goodbye

Philip Marlowe, created by Raymond Chandler, is one of the quintessential noir characters. Some would say it’s hard to beat Humphrey Bogart’s portrayal in The Big Sleep (also playing on Sunday 29 November) but I’d say Elliott Gould comes into his own in this 70s modern adaptation by Robert Altman. Gould plays a dishevelled Marlowe who lives with his cat and takes on a case for a friend, but not all is as it seems. 

Sunday 29 November.

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