Murder for profit is one of film noir’s most defining and corrosive plot drivers, illustrating the dark underbelly of ambition, greed, and moral rot. In these stories, characters—often lovers, spouses, or close associates—conspire to kill for insurance payouts, inheritance, or easy wealth. Yet in true noir fashion, their plans inevitably unravel, poisoned by mistrust, guilt, and karmic justice. The lure of “easy money” sets these figures on an irreversible path of doom, showcasing the genre’s fatalism and its cynical view of human nature during the post-war era.

Double Indemnity (1944, Paramount Pictures)

An insurance salesman is seduced into a scheme to murder a woman’s husband for a big payout, but betrayal festers from the start.

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

A drifter and a restless wife plot to kill her older husband for control of his roadside diner—and each other’s lust.

Pitfall (1948, United Artists)

A married insurance man’s affair with a femme fatale pulls him into a spiral of blackmail and murder driven by jealousy and greed.

The Killers (1946, Universal Pictures)

An insurance investigator uncovers a woman’s manipulative role in luring her lover into a doomed robbery and his eventual assassination.

Too Late for Tears (1949, United Artists)

A housewife accidentally comes into possession of a suitcase full of money and ruthlessly kills anyone who threatens her hold on it.

Sudden Fear (1952, RKO Radio Pictures)

A successful playwright discovers her handsome young husband is plotting her murder to inherit her fortune.

The Prowler (1951, Horizon Pictures)

A cop becomes obsessed with a lonely woman, leading to a calculated plan involving murder for insurance money.

Body and Soul (1947, Enterprise Productions)

In this boxing noir, organized crime and promises of wealth drive characters to betrayal and death.

Where Danger Lives (1950, RKO Radio Pictures)

A doctor falls for a femme fatale whose wealth and murderous instincts lead him into a deadly web of lies.

Raw Deal (1948, Eagle-Lion Films)

A wronged convict escapes prison for revenge and stolen money, but is manipulated by a femme fatale whose ambitions lead to lethal consequences.