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Time of Day

Blue Hour in Film

Blue hour is the cold interval after sunset when the sky becomes a giant soft box of deep blue. Faces read melancholy by default, practicals and windows burn warm against the cool — the classic dusk contrast. It is even shorter than golden hour, which is why so many films fake it with grading.

Blue Hour: examples from real films

One frame per film — thousands more are searchable with a free account.

blue hour example from Ginger & Rosa: A wooden bus shelter stands on a pebbled beach during the blue hour twilight. One person sits on a bench reading
Ginger & Rosa (2012)
blue hour example from The Wild Boys: Dense clusters of papyrus plants and broad-leafed greenery fill a marshy area. The sky above is a muted pinkish
The Wild Boys (2017)
blue hour example from The Kleptocrats: A dense urban skyline consists of several large concrete apartment blocks under a twilight sky. Thick atmosphe
The Kleptocrats (2018)
blue hour example from The Fountain: A tiered stone temple rises above a dark, misty jungle canopy at sunset. Small fires glow at the top of the centr
The Fountain (2006)
blue hour example from Darkman: A wide shot shows a person swinging through the air between two blurry skyscrapers. The background consists of a smoot
Darkman (1990)
blue hour example from Rebel Ridge: A rural concrete bridge spans across a ditch during the blue hour at dusk. A marked police cruiser travels away fr
Rebel Ridge (2024)
blue hour example from Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: A wooden pier deck features a large, ornate ghost train ride attraction with skull
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
blue hour example from Streetwise: A person stands inside a glass phone booth during twilight as cars pass by. The reflection of a tree appears over t
Streetwise (1984)
blue hour example from Last Days in the Desert: A desolate desert landscape features light-colored weathered sandstone formations under a dim twilight
Last Days in the Desert (2015)
blue hour example from Moonlight and Valentino: A sprawling graveyard filled with weathered tombstones and autumn foliage under low light. Two people
Moonlight and Valentino (1995)
blue hour example from Brother Bear: A rugged rocky peak stands against a sky filled with bright red storm clouds. A young man leaps from the cliff ed
Brother Bear (2003)
blue hour example from The Man Who Fell To Earth: A vast, open expanse under a soft-toned, hazy sunset sky. A man with blonde hair and glasses stares
The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)
blue hour example from The Bird With The Crystal Plumage: A weathered farmhouse built from rough stone and pale yellow brick stands in fields. A man s
The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970)
blue hour example from Toña Machetes: A long interior veranda features polished terracotta tiles, arched doorways, and large potted ferns. A young wom
Toña Machetes (1985)
blue hour example from Michael Clayton: A dark, blurred outdoor setting with tree silhouettes under a dim evening sky. A man stands beside a black veh
Michael Clayton (2007)
blue hour example from Burning: A rural landscape at dusk features a thin crescent moon in the open sky. A person stands facing away from the camera n
Burning (2018)
blue hour example from Goodnight Mommy: Two boys sit in the backseat of a car during the blue hour twilight. They look straight ahead while the vehicl
Goodnight Mommy (2014)
blue hour example from Van Helsing: A dark stone castle overlooks a frozen lake with a village in the foreground. Snow-capped jagged mountains rise sh
Van Helsing (2004)
blue hour example from Radius: A rural road stretches into the distance beneath a twilight sky. Dark silhouettes of utility poles and dense trees line
Radius (2017)
blue hour example from Submarine: A dark, silhouetted figure stands among slender tree trunks in a twilight landscape. The individual holds a pipe to
Submarine
blue hour example from Ride With The Devil: A vast, grassy prairie under a twilight sky features distant rolling bluffs and hills. A single small wago
Ride With The Devil
blue hour example from On The Town: A view of the Manhattan skyline across the water during a late sunset. The sun is positioned between the buildings
On The Town (1949)
blue hour example from Nosferatu the Vampyre (Nosferatu Phantom Der Nacht): A man rides a dark horse across an expansive, hilly, green landscape at tw
Nosferatu the Vampyre (Nosferatu Phantom Der Nacht) (1979)
blue hour example from Matthias & Maxime: A dark bedroom with blue light streaming through a window onto two people. The woman gestures with open hand
Matthias & Maxime (2019)

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Films known for blue hour

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