1. The Postman Always Rings Twice

One of the best known film noir movies is this classic with Lana Turner and John Garfield, based on a novel by James M. Cain. A woman plots with her lover to murder her husband. Unfortunately for them, things do not work out as they planned …

2. The Third Man

The Third Man is deservedly acclaimed as a masterpiece. Based on a novel by Graham Greene, it's set in post-war Vienna. Joseph Cotton searches for his old friend Orson Welles, finding out some unpalatable truths. The movie features the famous zither music and scene on the Ferris wheel.

3. The Big Heat

A homicide detective investigates the apparent suicide of a fellow cop. His investigation leads him to take on criminal bosses and crooked police chiefs, and costs him dearly. It features an early performance by Lee Marvin as a thoroughly unpleasant hoodlum you wouldn't want to upset.

4. Out of the past

Another James M. Cain novel provided the source material for this adaptation. It asks the question: can you ever escape your past? Robert Mitchum appeared in several film noirs, and here meets both innocent girl and double-crossing dame (both staples of film noir - especially the latter).

5. The Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler was another author much adapted by the cinema. This movie features his famous PI Philip Marlowe, and was the second to feature real-life couple Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The chemistry between the two leads is clear, and helps make a marvelous movie.

6. Double Indemnity

Married men in film noir are well advised to watch out, as their wives invariably want them dead. Getting involved with them doesn't end up well, either. If you've never thought the world of insurance was sexy, you need to watch this movie …

7. The Night of the Hunter

This is one of the scariest movies I've ever watched, even though it isn't a horror movie. The superb Robert Mitchum plays a fake preacher who pursues the children he thinks hold the key to a hidden fortune. It was the only movie ever directed by actor Charles Laughton.

8. Kiss Me Deadly

Here we have another PI, this time Mike Hammer. When he chivalrously picks up a hitchhiker, Hammer finds himself embroiled in a deadly case involving a mysterious box and a dame who's prepared to kill for the sake of a fortune ...

9. Strangers on a Train

When a murder is committed, the police often suspect someone close to them. So one character in this movie proposes a plan to avoid detection - he and another man will each kill the victim that the other wants to get rid of. However, one party changes his mind …

There are so many brilliant film noir movies that it was tough to make a selection. I really recommend you watch these movies and discover some more. What is your favorite movie genre and why?