What are Tech Noir Films?

Film genres represent a unique segregation of films based on style, individual elements, or various characteristics. Within these genres, various hybrid genres such as tech noir and subgenres exist as well. Understanding the different hybrid genres of film and what each means represents an important concept, but exactly what are tech noir films and how can this particular hybrid genre be recognized?

What is a Hybrid Genre?

Tech noir is a hybrid genre, but what’s a hybrid genre and how does it apply to filmmaking? Hybrid genres represent the combination of two or more genres, such as the combination of film noir and science fiction, which are the two genres that makeup the hybrid genre of tech noir films.

Hybrid genres, sometimes also referred to as cross-genres, blend the thematic elements of two or more genres or sub-genres.

What are Tech Noir Films?

Tech noir films represent a hybrid genre of fiction movies which combine elements of sci-fi and film noir.

Sometimes called cyber noir, future noir or even sometimes referred to as science fiction noir, the ideas behind tech noir films were popularized in the 1980s with films such as Blade Runner and The Terminator.

These films have a classic noir element to them but they equally bring in parts of science fiction. Most have characters that are very resemblant of those from a sci-fi film while their stories are the embodiment of noir. 

Characteristics of Tech Noir Films

Tech noir films have similar characteristics to a science fiction film but they often have a plot or storyline that is characteristically close to noir. If you can think of a noir storyline that takes place in a sci-fi setting, you’ve got yourself a tech noir film.

Some characteristics of tech noir films include:

• A plot that generally features a crime or mystery which must be solved by, usually a detective, the hero.
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• May feature Femme fatale characters but almost certainly features sci-fi characters.
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• May feature a dystopian or utopian style setting.
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• Mixes science-fiction and technology into characters, setting, and plot.
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• May reflect the interface between man and machine.
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• Although not black and white, they often feature a landscape that resembles night, and may have dark subject matter mixed with a glamorous side.

The 1980s and Later

Tech noir films came about in the 1980s. It continues to be popular into the current year. With many recent tech noir films having been produced throughout the 2000s.

You might recall some of the more recent tech noir films to be produced including I, Robot, Minority Report, and Blade Runner 2049 all which have been released in the recent past.

So what are tech noir films? They’re a hybrid genre mesh between science fiction and noir which combine many of the elements of sci-fi with the characteristically dark, and glamorous side of noir.