What is film noir and why does it matter? In the first episode of a series called Shadow Nation, I reflect on the commercial failure of Guillermo Del Toro’s prestige noir remake Nightmare Alley (2021) and wonder what makes a movie “noir” in the first place. Is it just detectives and fedoras and femmes fatale? Or is there a way of understanding noir beyond style, genre, and visual aesthetic?

Check out the full episode, in video and podcast form for Nostalgia Trap subscribers:

patreon.com/posts/trap-tv-shadow-76793267