When things get tough in America, we make the art to match the moment—and few genres capture that response more vividly than film noir. The rampant corruption and desperation of Prohibition and the Great Depression gave rise to hard-boiled detective fiction, stories that later made their way to the screen during the turmoil of World War II and its aftermath.
While the golden age of film noir closed during the prosperity of the 1950s, a second wave of cynical crime stories emerged as the idealism of the 1960s collided with the disillusionment of the Nixon era. Unbound by censorship codes, this new breed of detectives and femme fatales reflected the nation’s growing distrust in the American dream—protagonists shaped by a sense that you cannot change the rules of a rigged game, but you might be able to play it to your advantage.
We explore this cultural moment in “The New Hard-Boiled: The Birth of American Neo-Noir,” coming to The Triplex October 22 through November 19. From the money-fueled revenge of “Point Blank” to the paranoia-laced investigation of “Klute,” the moral murk of “The Long Goodbye,” the corrupt power brokers of “Chinatown,” and the desperate schemes of “Night Moves,” each film in the series captures a different facet of the discontent that defined the era.
Just as those films echoed the anxieties of the 1930s and ’40s, these neo-noirs have plenty to say about our own age of uncertainty. The clothes may have changed and the technology may be sleeker, but the central question at the core of this genre—how do we move forward in a world that feels wrong?—remains as urgent as ever.
Special Events
“Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny”
Q&A with author and scholar Seyla Benhabib this Sunday!
Discover Hannah Arendt, one of the most fearless political thinkers of the 20th century, who transformed her time as a political prisoner and refugee during World War II into daring insights about totalitarianism that continue to resonate today. Following the screening, join Seyla Benhabib, the Eugene Meyer Professor of Political Science and Philosophy Emerita at Yale University, for a discussion about the resounding legacy of Arendt’s work to combat antisemitism and fascism 50 years after her death.
October 12, at 11 a.m.
“The Uninvited”
Q&A with writer-director Nadia Conners!
An insightful and off-kilter look at the trappings of youth and fame starring Walton Goggins, Elizabeth Reaser, Lois Smith, and Pedro Pascal, we are thrilled to have director Nadia Conners join us for a screening of “The Uninvited” on October 16! When a party in the Hollywood Hills is crashed by a mysterious stranger, the hosts and their A-list guests scramble to keep their secrets from spilling out in this twisty showbiz satire.
October 16, at 7 p.m.
Gorecore: “Evil Dead II”
Sam Raimi’s sublimely silly horror classic!
Ash Williams was just looking for a romantic weekend in the woods—but instead he got the evil dead! Bruce Campbell stars in director Sam Raimi’s gleefully gore-filled follow-up to his breakout hit that combines slapstick comedy, stop-motion animation, and over-the-top techniques that fully established Raimi’s unique vision for the genre.
October 10, at 8:30 p.m.
“Out Of Plain Sight”
BIFF’s Environmental Film Focus Series returns to The Triplex!
From The Los Angeles Times and Pulitzer Prize finalist Rosanna Xia, “Out Of Plain Sight” is a cinematic exposé of an environmental disaster lurking just off the coast of Southern California.
Not far from Catalina Island, aboard one of the most advanced research ships in the world, David Valentine discovered a corroded barrel on the seafloor that gave him chills. The full environmental horror sharpens into greater clarity once he calls Xia, who pieces together a shocking revelation: In the years after World War II, as many as half a million barrels of toxic waste had been quietly dumped into the ocean—and the consequences continue to haunt the world today.
October 12, at 3 p.m.
Now Playing
“Splitsville”
A modern-day screwball comedy.
Modern relationships do not get messier than “Splitsville,” the explosive new comedy from writer-director-star Michael Angelo Covino. When his wife Ashley (Adria Arjona) tells him she wants a divorce, Carey (co-writer Kyle Marvin) seeks advice from his best friend Paul (Covino) and his wife Julie (Dakote Johnson), only to learn they are in an open marriage. When Julie and Carey connect, the foursome are forced to confront what it takes to truly be “open” with each other.
Part of our Limited Engagement series, “Splitsville” comes to The Triplex for one week starting October 10.
“The Baltimorons”
A lo-fi romcom from director Jay Duplass.
Cliff, a down-on-his-luck comedian, chips a tooth on Christmas Eve and ends up in the care of sharp-witted dentist Didi. What should be a quick procedure quickly unfolds into a holiday misadventure that will melt the coldest of hearts as the pair spend the night exploring the city and crashing Didi’s ex-husband’s wedding reception in “The Baltimorons,” the latest charmer from indie auteur Jay Duplass.
Don’t miss this charming lo-fi romcom when it plays as part of our Limited Engagement series starting on October 10!
“One Battle After Another”
The revolution is underway in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest.
When a former revolutionary’s daughter goes missing, he taps into his network of radicals and outcasts to bring her home in “One Battle After Another,” the latest from acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson (“There Will Be Blood,” “Boogie Nights”). Featuring an all-star cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, and more, “One Battle After Another” is an action-packed ode to the lengths parents will go to protect their kids from their pasts.
Already being hailed as one of the best films of the year (and even this century), do not miss your chance to see Anderson’s latest masterpiece on the big screen!
“The Smashing Machine”
A hard-hitting sports drama from director Benny Safdie.
Dwayne Johnson transforms into UFC trailblazer Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine,” a tender and raw story of redemption from director Benny Safdie (“Uncut Gems”). “The Smashing Machine” follows Kerr as he navigates the burgeoning world of professional mixed martial arts, rising to the heights of success while concealing a crippling addiction to painkillers that threatens to destroy his career and marriage to his wife Dawn (Emily Blunt).
Ends Thursday!
“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale”
The Crawleys return for one last fabulous adventure.
The Crawleys enter the 1930s in “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” the final installment of the beloved PBS franchise. As Lord Grantham and family face down the prospect of financial ruin and social disgrace, their household staff prepare to take the Abbey into the future with a new generation at its helm.
Ends Thursday!
Coming Soon
“Eleanor the Great”
When Bessie, her roommate/soulmate of over 70 years, passes away, Eleanor (Academy Award nominee June Squibb) relocates to live with her daughter in New York City. Struggling to make new friends in her 90s, Eleanor accidentally claims Bessie’s story of surviving the Holocaust as her own—a lie that brings her closer to her new community while quickly spinning out of control. A funny examination of grief, truth, and connection that marks the directorial debut of Scarlett Johansson, don’t miss “Eleanor the Great” when it comes to The Triplex on October 17!
Starts October 17.
Gorecore: “House”
You have never seen a haunted house story like “House”! When Gorgeous and her friends make a trip to her aunt’s country estate, they have to fight for their lives as the possessed house tries to eat them alive in increasingly bizarre ways. A horror-comedy brimming with surreal special effects designed to make you laugh as much as scream, don’t miss this cult classic when it plays as part of our Gorecore series on October 17!
October 17, at 8:30 p.m.
“Predators”
“To Catch a Predator” was a sensation—journalism that perfectly matched the rise of reality television. David Osit’s new documentary “Predators” explores the motives behind the show, its staggering rise and eventual fall, and the aftermath of the world it helped create.
Part of our Limited Engagement series, “Predators” plays for one week starting on October 17.
“Point Blank”
Our series “The New Hard-Boiled: The Birth of American Neo-Noir” kicks off with the Lee Marvin classic “Point Blank”! Director John Boorman made his Hollywood debut with this tale of revenge that sees professional criminal Walker (Marvin) left for dead by his partner after robbing a major criminal syndicate. Back on his feet, Walker sets out to get revenge and claim his take, working his way up the chain of the people who stabbed him in the back.
October 22, at 7 p.m., and October 25, at 5 p.m.
“Queer Cinema Club: Beautiful Thing”
Queer Cinema Club Berkshires returns to The Triplex with “Beautiful Thing,” director Hettie MacDonald’s (“Normal People”) groundbreaking queer coming-of-age story! The Filomena’s Michael Bolognino will join us to introduce this rarely screened British indie cult classic about two teenagers coming to terms with their sexuality in a London housing project. Regarded as a landmark piece of queer filmmaking for its grounded and empathetic depiction of young queer identity, don’t miss “Beautiful Thing” when it plays on October 23!
October 23, at 8 p.m.
