Featured Audience Ratings

• Universal D

  
  Altho the destination is apparent early on, nonetheless its the journey that makes this trip into steamy voodoo country enjoyable. See Mickey Roarke at the top of his game. Warning: explicit sex scenes, which'll condemn or condone the work depending on the viewer.

• xGary X

  
  Down at heel private eye Harry Angel is employed to track down an old time crooner and becomes embroiled in a world of black magic and murder. Allan Parker's tribute to Film Noir makes great use of the local colour of Harlem and the Louisiana Bayou to create a dark, brooding… More
  Down at heel private eye Harry Angel is employed to track down an old time crooner and becomes embroiled in a world of black magic and murder. Allan Parker's tribute to Film Noir makes great use of the local colour of Harlem and the Louisiana Bayou to create a dark, brooding atmosphere in this beautifully shot supernatural thriller. Mickey Rourke puts in a good performance as the gumshoe who is seemingly out of his depth in this shadowy world and a fine supporting cast all play their part along with some intense sound design to create a suitably otherworldly and Hellish feel. The plot is perhaps a little thin as none of the supporting characters actually live long enough to conjure any really meaningful interaction with the protagonist leaving it feeling a little episodic, but the sense of dread and foreboding is tangible. A great lesson in how to create tension and atmosphere even if the story is a little lacking.

• Carlos M

  
  A spectacular thriller that successfully blends noir and horror, boasting beautiful cinematography, perfect editing, a fascinating story that holds your attention from the first minute to the last, and a remarkable performance by Mickey Rourke, who is nothing less than extraordinary.

• David L

  
  What can I say but I love this film. Its one of my all time favorites. I will try to keep this as short and sweet as I can because I could just go on and on about this film. Angel Heart is a winding psychological thriller that -- in 1987 -- was far ahead of its time. So far that… More
  What can I say but I love this film. Its one of my all time favorites. I will try to keep this as short and sweet as I can because I could just go on and on about this film. Angel Heart is a winding psychological thriller that -- in 1987 -- was far ahead of its time. So far that audiences didn't `get it' and the film bombed at the box office. Only now over the past few years are we beginning to see endings like this one surface in horror movies. Had Angel Heart been made a decade or so later, perhaps it would have succeeded. As it is, the movie which has a strong cult following is still nothing short of mesmerizing. I would even go so far to call it a masterpiece. It is scary, disturbing, influential, thought-provoking, and a lot smarter and more atmospheric than most movies being made today. It stars Mickey Rourke as Harry Angel, a private eye from Brooklyn in the 1950s who is hired by Louis Cyphere (Robert De Niro) to locate a mysterious singer named Johnny Favorite, who disappeared in the early 40s and hasn't been seen since. Angel's journey takes him from the streets of New York to jazz clubs in Harlem and, finally, to the sweltering swamps of Louisiana. He meets a variety of characters, all of who have little to say about Favorite. All we seem to know is that he was a singer, entered the war, and was shot, had his face reconstructed, was taken out of hospital care, and apparently vanished from the face of the earth. Most people who watch it now will see the twist coming a mile away but that's not to say that the movie won't affect you. Notorious when released for some controversial scenes (including a graphic sex scene involving Rourke and The Cosby Show's Lisa Bonet), the movie's moody atmosphere is its strongest element. The acting, too, is very strong. This is Rourke's finest performance, as Harry Angel, a scumbag detective with nothing to lose. Rourke's acting here is Oscar-worthy. The role of Louis Cyphere is also one of De Niro's most interesting and ambitious performances; he delves entirely into character and leaves a lasting impact on the viewer. The film was directed by Alan Parker, the famous British filmmaker (of, among others, Midnight Express). Some say this is his finest film ,wonderfully crafted, beautifully shot, masterfully edited and I'd have to agree.

• Daniel M

  
  Alan Parker is that most contradictory of characters, the journeyman auteur. In a career spanning four decades he has made a film in almost every conceivable genre, from musicals (Bugsy Malone) to prison dramas (Midnight Express), and from war films (Birdy) to offbeat comedies (The… More
  Alan Parker is that most contradictory of characters, the journeyman auteur. In a career spanning four decades he has made a film in almost every conceivable genre, from musicals (Bugsy Malone) to prison dramas (Midnight Express), and from war films (Birdy) to offbeat comedies (The Road to Wellville). While the results have not always been cohesive or agreeable, when he is on form he achieves that rare balance of distinctive directorial vision and respectful treatment of a given story. After working with Peter Gabriel on Birdy, the film which launched the career of Matthew Modine, Parker turned his hand to film noir in the form of Angel Heart. Based loosely on the novel Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg, it combines the hardboiled pulp fiction of Raymond Chandler with the supernatural threat of The Wicker Man, held together by Parker's sumptuous visuals and a powerful central performance by Mickey Rourke. While not a complete masterpiece, it remains a highly compelling work of 1980s cinema which is more than worthy of its cult status. On a basic level, Angel Heart is a throwback to the classic noirs of the 1930s and 1940s, with a plot straight out of a classic gumshoe detective story. In the film a private detective meets a mysterious client, who offers him a large sum of money to find a man who owes him some form of debt. As the detective snoops around, he finds himself pulled further and further into a dark new world, and eventually comes to realise that he is more closely connected to the client than he previously thought... When written out like this, Angel Heart can seem incredibly hackneyed, the sort of script which had been hanging around studios for years being constantly re-written. But the film is fully aware of its place in the genre, tipping its hat to other recent attempts to reinvigorate or redefine film noir. There is, for instance, a direct nod to Chinatown in the scene on the beach: Harry Angel is given a nose shield which he clips to his sunglasses, mirroring the image of J. J. Gittes with his bandaged nose. Both Chinatown and Angel Heart use the conventions of pulp and film noir to provide a firm grounding for their audience, giving some form of reassurance as they indulge in ideas or flights of fantasy which are uncommon for their genre. In the end Angel Heart is the weaker film, since its relationship to such conventions is so close that, on a narrative level at least, it never manages to rise above it. But there is still much pleasure to be had from watching all the pieces fit together, and much terror to be found in Parker's various stylish indulgences. Judged purely on its visuals, Angel Heart is as memorably full-on and sumptuous as Pink Floyd - The Wall five years earlier. As with that film, there is a contrast between the pale and faded colours of the 'normal' world (in this case New York City) and the richer, fuller tones which gradually emerge as both film and character tip over into madness. Parker's long-time cinematographer, Michael Seresin, floods these sequences with reds and blacks which wouldn't look out of place in the work of Dario Argento, and his capturing of shadows rivals anything on The Third Man. These visuals hint at one of the great successes of Angel Heart as a thriller, namely the level of atmosphere it creates. The three or four scenes involving Robert De Niro are uncharacteristically quiet; they occur in churches, offices and deserted cafés, places in which Parker can play on the pauses and grant De Niro's every word the emphasis it deserves. This, coupled with his threatening characterisation, creates the sense of some great evil hovering over everything that occurs between his meetings with Mickey Rourke. Like the dark shadows on a Francis Bacon painting, we feel threatened by this intangible, amorphous sense of doom, which feeds the paranoia of the audience until we are begging for relief. The plot of Angel Heart is rooted in the age-old story of Faustus, which involves a man selling his soul to the devil in return for success - he gains the world at the cost of the one thing that is truly and inalienably his. The character of Johnny Favourite, who never appears on screen, stands in for Faust as a man determined to have fame and fortune at any price. But where Faust seeks no harm to others in his quest for hedonistic fulfilment, Favourite is "as close to true evil as anyone wanted to come" and is driven to desperation in his bid to renege on the deal. The film is full of religious imagery relating to both Christianity and voodoo. Some of the Christian imagery is obvious: you don't call characters Harry Angel and Louis Cyphre without good reason. In one of their conversations, Cyphre describes how an egg can represent the human soul; he then proceeds to devour an egg he had peeled with his long fingernails, like the devil wearing down a victim and going in for the kill. Other images are more subtle and inventive, like the recurring shot of fans and elevators - ordinary, everyday objects which carry connotations of death and descent into darkness. As with the paganism depicted in The Wicker Man, the voodoo elements in Angel Heart are not intended necessarily to be taken as chapter and verse. The intention is less to describe exactly what voodoo entails and how it is practised, and more about conveying a clash of cultures, in this case between atheism and the supernatural in general. Angel's contact with voodoo in New Orleans is the first time he entertains the idea that Johnny Favourite was anything more than an elaborate hoax. In a subversion of Christianity, it is faith in a life after death that leads him not to God but to the Devil. Being both a hardboiled thriller and a supernatural horror movie, Angel Heart contains a certain amount of graphic violence. Such scenes include a live chicken being cut open and its blood being poured over Lisa Bonet, Angel being beaten up by anonymous mobsters, and the numerous murders which occur. Though not an out-and-out shocker in the mould of Hellraiser, there is more than enough in Angel Heart to make you wince and shiver. Fortunately, precious little of this violence is salacious or gratuitous. The most terrifying moments in Angel Heart are those which use such imagery in an artier, more abstract way to unnerve the viewer psychologically. As the film goes on, Angel begins to suffer vivid nightmares involving an apartment window, red light and a man screaming - a simple image which becomes steadily more unsettling. There is a further link with Pink Floyd - The Wall in the scene where Angel and Epiphany make love in the leaky apartment. The image of water slowly turning to blood is a close cousin of 'The Thin Ice' sequence with Bob Geldof drowning in the swimming pool. The performances in Angel Heart are every bit as memorable as the imagery surrounding them. Although De Niro hovers menacingly over everything, it is Mickey Rourke who defines the film in what remains his finest performance. Harry Angel may be a dishevelled flatfoot, but Rourke brings so much more to the party, from his snarky facial expressions to a deep world-weariness: whether down-to-earth or downright hysterical, Angel feels so much more than just an archetype. The supporting performances by Lisa Bonet and Charlotte Rampling are also pretty convincing, especially from the former in a full-on big-screen debut. Angel Heart does for the pulp thriller what Black Swan did for the giallos of Dario Argento. It takes a number of familiar elements from a given genre and affectionately cranks them up to a point of near-hysteria, resulting in a film which is intensely atmospheric and deeply unnerving. Like Black Swan, there are moments which are ridiculous, and it's hardly the most consistent film ever made. But when it works, it works beautifully, resulting in a breath-taking balance of art, faith and fear.

• Mark W

  
  Mickey Rourke plays Harry Angel a private detective hired by a mysterious and creepy client (Robert DeNiro) to find a missing jazz singer that has some debts to pay. Angel's search brings him to New Orleans where he becomes embroiled in voodoo cults and the body counts begin to… More
  Mickey Rourke plays Harry Angel a private detective hired by a mysterious and creepy client (Robert DeNiro) to find a missing jazz singer that has some debts to pay. Angel's search brings him to New Orleans where he becomes embroiled in voodoo cults and the body counts begin to rise in his elusive search. He eventually starts to realise that some stones are better left unturned. Alan Parker's films are rarely ever the same and here he tackles film noir with a horror spin. He manages to keep an air of mystery to the film with fantastic use of locations to convey the uncomfortable humidity and atmosphere of deep south america. Rourke is absolutely brilliant, in one of his finest roles and DeNiro send shivers in a short but very effective appearance. An excellent modern gothic noir with a twist.

• Aditya G

  
  One twisted tale + Two of the most bravura performances I've ever seen = One 'Hell' of a movie!: 'Angel Heart' begins with an eerie, atmospheric background score, with the opening frame of a cold, winter night.... It is at this very stage, that the… More
  One twisted tale + Two of the most bravura performances I've ever seen = One 'Hell' of a movie!: 'Angel Heart' begins with an eerie, atmospheric background score, with the opening frame of a cold, winter night.... It is at this very stage, that the viewer gets completely drawn in, into this shocking tale of an investigator out to seek a missing person, for one really odd client. The premise sounds like a regular mystery of a missing person, with the investigator, Harold Angel (Mickey Rourke) following every lead he gets. But things are not as straightforward as they may seem, as Harold slowly uncovers the disturbing truth behind the disappearance. 'Angel Heart' is, however, surprisingly underrated! This flick definitely deserves more points..at least from horror/thriller film loyalists, 'cause it is definitely a cut above some other cheap, B-horror flicks. This movie is a close second to the brilliant 'Jacob's Ladder' from the same producers (Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna). Alan Parker's direction is excellent. The background score by Trevor Jones is well in place and perfectly complements the dark mood of the movie. What can I say about the performances that hasn't already been said! This is quite possibly Mickey Rourke's career best performance! He shows a wide range of emotions, with so much ease. He sinks his teeth firmly into the character and fits the role of Harold Angel to the T. Not to mention he has great screen presence and charisma. As for the great Mr. De Niro...this is one actor who never fails to amaze me. Just when I thought he couldn't possibly be as brilliant as (or better than) he was in Raging Bull or Taxi Driver or The Godfather Part II or even Casino, I come across this GOD of a performance..De Niro's Louis Cyphre! This is what a true performance is all about!!! And what's more, De Niro is hardly there on screen (maybe a total of about 15 minutes?), but you've got to hand it to him....he makes it a point to be extraordinary in every frame he appears in! This is one less known but magnificent performance from the legendary actor. And then there's a special mention of Lisa Bonet. She delivers in her small role as Epiphany. All said, 'Angel Heart', is not to be missed. Strongly recommended for the fans of creepy and twisted movies.

• Cassandra M

  
  This was the only film that ever gave me sleepless nights. It is terrifying at an almost elemental level. I can understand why so many people gave this film a low rating; on first viewing it appears confused, plot less and strange, but, if you see it again, once the ending has been… More
  This was the only film that ever gave me sleepless nights. It is terrifying at an almost elemental level. I can understand why so many people gave this film a low rating; on first viewing it appears confused, plot less and strange, but, if you see it again, once the ending has been revealed, all the hidden meanings emerge from the woodwork and a truly shattering psychological experience reveals itself. Far from being confused, it is actually quite simple and straightforward. Far from being plot less, "Angel Heart" has one of the most intricate and well-constructed plots of any film I have seen. Every shot in this film carries a hidden meaning, from the opening with the young man's corpse, to the whispers in Harry Angel's ear, to Harry shattering a mirror, to the direction turned by the blades of fans. The more times you see the film, the more you understand and the more terrifying it becomes. In the movie "Hellraiser," there is a magic puzzle that once solved, opens the gates to Hell. "Angel Heart" is the same way; the more of this puzzle you put together, the closer you get to the final, soul-searing understanding. <a href="http://photobucket.com/images/angel%20heart%20pics" target="_blank"><img src="http://i546.photobucket.com/albums/hh427/thecathoderaychoob/Blog%20Pics/angel-heart-robert-de-niro-and-m-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Angel Heart Pictures, Images and Photos"/></a>

• Anthony L

  
  Great film, DeNiro?s Satan is superb. Whatever happened to Lisa Bonet?

• Greg S

  
  Detective Angel (Mickey Rourke) is hired by a mysterious, sartorial client (Robert De Niro) to track down a missing man, and the search leads him to new Orleans and a voodoo cult. Supernatural film noir with a very chilling twist, if you don't guess it early on.

• Chris G

  
  Alan Parker is one of those guys that doesn't try to do the same thing twice (the guy did The Wall for Christ sakes). What he does with Angel Heart is take a well worn formula (the gum shoe detective) and give it a bit of a twist (supernatural voodoo) that gives us a film that… More
  Alan Parker is one of those guys that doesn't try to do the same thing twice (the guy did The Wall for Christ sakes). What he does with Angel Heart is take a well worn formula (the gum shoe detective) and give it a bit of a twist (supernatural voodoo) that gives us a film that keeps us riveted as we follow Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) from Brooklyn to New Orleans to Hell. Angel is hired by the mysterious Louis Cypher (Robert DeNiro who seems to have transformed into Scorsese on coke) to find a mysterious musician who owes him a debt. The simple plot follows Angel through many places and many corpses until the revelation is uncovered. Simple. Yet complex. You sit through most of the film thinking it's a basic private dick dick, but it soon becomes more complicated than that. That's why the film works. The script is good, though there are some scenes that seem to need prodding along. Parker's world is dirty, but not dark. He shines the light on the dirt, keeping the film from going to noirish. Rourke and DeNiro are great with DeNiro playing a true Cypher throughout the film. Overall Angel Heart is another great piece of film making from Alan Parker. The film does have a twist ending before we expected twist endings that is still a bit predictable, but the ride getting there is always half the fun.

• Arash X

  
  "How terrible is wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise, Johnny?"

• Emily A

  
  This movie was not without its charm, but the only reason it gets points at all is because of Robert deNiro's performance as Louis Cypher. Apart from that, there is little redeeming about this movie. The script, story, characters and performances all fall kind of flat. The only… More
  This movie was not without its charm, but the only reason it gets points at all is because of Robert deNiro's performance as Louis Cypher. Apart from that, there is little redeeming about this movie. The script, story, characters and performances all fall kind of flat. The only thing that keeps that audience's interest is the mysterious dark magic element, but it's so poorly handled into such an illogical culmination that it makes the whole movie seem for naught. Very disappointing.

• _kelly .

  
  "So Fucked Up" highlight: fucking on the blood bed

• Lady D

  
  Fans of Robert De \Niro may be slightly disappointed as he is only in the film for about 10 minutes, however Mickey Rourke is the star in this film. I was lost in a few parts of the film, which had become a little boring, but it was certainly a unique style of Private Detective… More
  Fans of Robert De \Niro may be slightly disappointed as he is only in the film for about 10 minutes, however Mickey Rourke is the star in this film. I was lost in a few parts of the film, which had become a little boring, but it was certainly a unique style of Private Detective story. VERDICT: Watchable, but don't rush out and rent

• Pierluigi P

  
  Interesting hybrid between film-noir and southern gothic horror. Mickey Rourke does a great job as the private eye, and De Niro delivers a memorable and shivering performance.

• Lafe F

  
  An interesting detective murder thriller with voodoo elements and some great plot revelations. They've set up a great atmosphere in this film.

• Kylie B

  
  Robert de Niro's character's pseudonym is rather easily seen through, but the ending is certainly not what I was expecting.

• Ken S

  
  I really didn't think I was going to like this movie...it won me over in the end.

• Dr Blood  

  
  Even if the denouement means that you could never watch this film twice, the steamy sex scenes will undoubtedly have you hovering over the rewind button.

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