Team FC
David Lynch's film leaves one tossing and turning and wondering just what is happening, even as it enchants the viewer to buy into the imagery of Los Angeles and the performances of lead actresses Naomi Watts and Laura Harring.
Sam Mendes' sophomore directorial ventured into 30s Chicago, following a gangster father (Tom Hanks) who is attempting to flee his employers after his son (Tyler Hoechlin) witnesses a murder.
David Fincher trained his camera on 60s and 70s San Francisco where an unidentified serial killer has everyone nervous, and three men, a reporter (Robert Downey Jr.), a cop (Mark Ruffalo), and a cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) attempt to unmask the Zodiac.
The Coen Brothers' take on the Cormac McCarthy novel about a literal bag of money and three men who are on its trail was as bleak as any noir, and as sprawling as any Western.
Dan Gilroy trained moody neon lights on the string reporting and crime journalism scene in Los Angeles, producing a damning indictment of the media and men in one go.
Shane Black blended comedy and mystery in this 70s Los Angeles noir about an enforcer (Russell Crowe) and a private eye (Ryan Gosling) rather memorably.
Matt Reeves reinvented the Batman wheel by leaning heavily into the visual aesthetic of a detective drama and marrying it to a relatively grounded approach to a superhero film.