Brick

Usually when you want to see a movie in the film noir genre you have to look into the past and watch one from the 30s or 40s of filmmaking, that was until now. This movie brings back the style of film that to this day is popular and extremely fun to watch. The story is so gripping that once the movie begins you have a hard time looking away or even thinking about pausing the disc. Setting the story in the halls of a High School opens up the use of the natural cliques and social stands work perfectly for this murder mystery. When an old flame asks for help and then turns up dead, a young High School student must work all the angles of the mystery to discover what she needed help with and who killed her. The acting throughout the film is like watching the old actors from the early film noir era; every actor here plays their characters to the hilt and walk away with some of the best roles of their young careers. The camera work with the low and angled shots is so impressive that it's like watching the old masters at play.
I was amazed at how good this film is, the mystery, the intrigue, they just blow you away at how well planned and executed the whole thing is, at times you're literally sitting on the edge of your seat. Up until now we have not seen the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson on the screen in years, yet these actors carry the attitude and the swagger of the old time stars. As the debut work of writer-director, Rian Johnson, this film is a homerun with his first swing of the bat. If you've never seen or heard of this film its definitely something to search out and watch, if you like mysteries and are looking for something new, this is one of those films you can't miss.