Programmed February 2024

Gothic Noir

Amid Hollywood’s postwar noir boom arose a moody microgenre that drew on the trappings of gothic literature: eerie, remote locations; dark secrets lurking in mysterious houses; heroines caught up in sinister circumstances beyond their control. In these films, women must keep their wits about them as they navigate shadowy worlds in which no one can be trusted and those closest to them—husbands and lovers, in particular—concoct elaborate plots to drive them mad, murder them, or implicate them in a crime. Featuring standout performances from actors like Joan Fontaine ( Kiss the Blood off My Hands ), Lucille Ball ( Lured ), Nina Foch ( My Name Is Julia Ross ), and Ida Lupino ( Woman in Hiding ), these stylized tales of existential menace see their protagonists fight to escape webs of treachery and deceit.