Gritty film genre (4)
I believe the answer is:
noir
'gritty film genre' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for noir that I've seen before include "Kind of dark film" , "cinematic style" , "Film featuring bleak settings and cynical characters" , "type of film" , "Dark in France, like brooding films of 40s and 50s" .)