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This dissertation invokes the term neo-noir español –Spanish neo-noir– as a generic label and theoretical framework that enables the systematic grouping of a broad corpus of contemporary films in which several shared key themes and concerns can be identified. Neo-noir is a vast film genre that, when properly analyzed and historicized, offers valuable insights into larger sociocultural dynamics due to its ability to adapt to different contexts and engage productively with the communities in which it is grounded. This study analyzes the emergence of Spanish neo-noir at the turn of the millennium as a commercially successful genre that offered timely sociopolitical commentary, allowing audiences to reflect critically upon recent national history and contemporary challenges the country faced, both cinematic and societal. More specifically, the dissertation pays special attention to Spanish neo-noir between 2009 and 2020, as a cinematic phenomenon that engages with a difficult historical moment —the consequences of the 2008 economic crisis— enabling interaction between domestic audiences and a complex sociopolitical situation that is generically codified in the films. The study engages with existing theorizations of film genre in order to develop an original perspective on neo-noir and expose the short-sightedness of certain canonical approaches in their flawed application to local realities such as Spain. After that, it attempts to frame the iterations of Spanish neo-noir from the past decade within a complex periodization of national film noir that recognizes the need to broaden analytical criteria. It is proposed that contextualizing certain commonplaces, as well as advancing an effective understanding of the genre, necessarily requires a transnational and transmedial approach. Then, the various trends in Spanish neo-noir are examined based on a thorough analysis of four case studies: Grupo 7 (2012) and La isla minima (2014) by Alberto Rodríguez, plus Que Dios nos perdone (2016) and El Reino (2018) by Rodrigo Sorogoyen. Film analysis is also shown to be useful in dissecting the complex meaning-making processes of movies that, in this case, offer illuminating examples of the intricate connection between genre and a climate of social outrage.