Crime Reads » Zach Vasquez

Dorothy B. Hughes at the Movies

Dorothy B. Hughes at the Movies

It's time for filmmakers to rediscover the work of this noir master.

By Zach Vasquez | May 5, 2023

Tommy Udo: In Praise of Film Noir’s Greatest Homme Fatal

Tommy Udo: In Praise of Film Noir’s Greatest Homme Fatal

75 years later, that iconic, sadistic laugh is still reverberating through the culture.

By Zach Vasquez | September 2, 2022

High Noon in Bedford Falls: 'Cop Land' at 25

High Noon in Bedford Falls: 'Cop Land' at 25

The 1997 film from James Mangold was part western, part noir, and a deeply nuanced portrait of America.

By Zach Vasquez | August 5, 2022

All Agents Defect: Espionage in the Films of David Cronenberg

All Agents Defect: Espionage in the Films of David Cronenberg

While the director is often tied up with body horror, the great themes of espionage fiction are present in nearly all his work.

By Zach Vasquez | June 21, 2022

Don’t Stop Believing: Mystery at the Heart of <em>The Sopranos</em>

Don’t Stop Believing: Mystery at the Heart of The Sopranos

15 years after it went off the air, the show's commitment to spirituality and ambiguity still set it apart.

By Zach Vasquez | June 10, 2022

Tough Mothers: Seven Dark Novels About Motherhood

Tough Mothers: Seven Dark Novels About Motherhood

This Mother's Day, consider the noir perspective...

By Zach Vasquez | May 6, 2022

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Books of the Week

Nothing Can Stay Hidden Forever: The True Crime Legacy of Lost Highway

By Zach Vasquez | February 24, 2022

The Technicolor Noir of 'West Side Story'

By Zach Vasquez | December 15, 2021

Barry Gifford on the History of Noir and Black Lizard Books

By Zach Vasquez | June 28, 2021

Father's Day Noir: Six Dark Novels and Stories About Fatherhood and Crime

Father's Day Noir: Six Dark Novels and Stories About Fatherhood and Crime

The sins of the father...

By Zach Vasquez | June 18, 2021

Cutter and Bone: Two Masterpieces Deserve Their Proper Due

Cutter and Bone: Two Masterpieces Deserve Their Proper Due

Four decades on, Newton Thornburg's novel and the Ivan Passer adaptation still resonate as a defining vision of modern America.

By Zach Vasquez | March 19, 2021

All is Fair in Love and Noir: 10 Destructive Romances for Valentine’s Day

All is Fair in Love and Noir: 10 Destructive Romances for Valentine’s Day

Doomed couples, dark journeys, and all-consuming passion.

By Zach Vasquez | February 12, 2021

Passing Noir: Nine Novels That Explore Secrecy and Deception in Racial Identity

Passing Noir: Nine Novels That Explore Secrecy and Deception in Racial Identity

Race, identity, and secrecy intersect in these powerful novels.

By Zach Vasquez | January 5, 2021

The Meticulous Noir of David Fincher

The Meticulous Noir of David Fincher

Exploring the movies that have fed the worldview of a legendarily exacting director who inspires, and is inspired by obsession.

By Zach Vasquez | December 4, 2020

The Enduring Noir Legacy of John Cassavetes

The Enduring Noir Legacy of John Cassavetes

Cassavetes was an early hero for American indie cinema. But his influence on crime films runs just as deep.

By Zach Vasquez | November 23, 2020

<em>Killing Them Softly</em> Is the Desperate, Pitch-Black Noir That Perfectly Captures What America Has Become

Killing Them Softly Is the Desperate, Pitch-Black Noir That Perfectly Captures What America Has Become

The 2012 film adapted the George V. Higgins classic and predicted the country's bleak road ahead.

By Zach Vasquez | October 16, 2020

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