5 Best Neo-Noir Crime Shows to Watch If That Sugar Plot Twist Made Your Eyes Hurt
Scandinavian, British and American series, the main advantage of which is the atmosphere of mystery.
The recently released Sugar, starring Colin Farrell, was a modern rethinking of the noir genre with references to old cinema – and audiences fell in love with it. However, in the sixth episode, fans were treated to such a twist that it seemed that the showrunner had simply left at that moment, leaving ChatGPT to finish writing the plot.
If that unexpected twist ruined the magic of Sugar's noir for you, these five TV shows will restore your faith in the genre.
1. Perry Mason, 2020-2023
1930, Los Angeles. Private detective Perry Mason suffers from post-traumatic disorder and is going through a difficult divorce, so he often tries to ground himself with a bottle of alcohol.
One day, a lawyer comes to Mason with a bigger case – unknown persons have killed the baby of a local businessman. Much to his friend's surprise, Mason agrees to investigate. He soon realizes that he has become embroiled in an elite dispute and in the path of a local religious sect.
Perry Mason was a loose prequel to the original series of novels by Erle Stanley Gardner and follows Perry Mason's rise to fame as a lawyer.
2. The Killing, 2007-2012
The fashion for Northern Noir emerged in literature in the 2000s: the long-running Scandinavian crime sagas with eccentric detectives were the first to be appreciated by readers. In the 1900s, this boom spread to television, and The Killing became the first show in the genre to gain international recognition.
The main character is detective Sarah Lund, who is preparing to move from Denmark to Sweden to be with her fiancé. But her plans are disrupted by the brutal murder of a young girl, which she is assigned to investigate. One of the suspects becomes a candidate for mayor of Copenhagen, but soon the circle of suspects in the case grows wider.
3. Fortitude, 2015-2018
A murder has been committed in the town of Fortitude with a population of only 800 people. Eugene Morton, a British detective, is assigned to investigate. The more he learns about the local history, the clearer it becomes that the crime is only a harbinger of disaster to come.
Fortitude begins like a snowy Scandinavian noir detective story and ends like an adrenaline-pumping version of John Carpenter's The Thing. The main merit of the show is the excellent mix of confusing whodunit and chilling horror.
4. The Alienist, 2018-2020
1896, New York. Residents of the city are horrified to learn of a series of terrible crimes. Someone, following the terrible traditions of bloody rituals, is killing innocent children in the city's slums with particular cruelty. The police commissioner, alienist psychologist and the first female police officer are prepared to do anything to put an end to the crimes, but the enemy is almost elusive.
The series is based on the novel of the same name by author Caleb Carr. The Alienist is often compared to other high-profile retro detective series like The Knick or Peaky Blinders, and with good reason. Perfectly reflecting the spirit of its time, The Alienist is in no way inferior to those projects, and in some moments it even manages to create a better atmosphere.
5. High Seas, 2019-2020
1940, the passenger liner Bárbara de Braganza leaves Europe for South America. Two sisters, Carolina and Eva, and officer Nicholas witness someone throw a girl overboard.
Trying to find out who the stranger was and who is responsible for her death, Eva and Carolina turn to the passenger lists and find out that she never bought a ticket for the liner and, moreover, none of those on board remembers her.
In addition to a well-crafted detective story, the series has a unique atmosphere of the 40s – jazz music, flowing silk dresses and a mysterious twilight, under the cover of which the most incredible events take place.