Angel Heart movie review - Aussieboyreviews

IS ANGEL HEART A WELL-CRAFTED 80S HORROR-MYSTERY MOVIE?

Although it kind of flopped in the box office and would’ve been more popular if made decades later, Angel Hear is an exceptionally-made mystery movie. It’s violent, frightening, gripping and best for adults.

Storyline

Harry Angel is a private detective who is hired to track down the missing famous singer Johnny Favorite by a mysterious man who calls himself Louis Cyphre. But as Harry investigates the situation, startling facts begin to come clear.

Movie Images

Movie details

Director: Alan Parker
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling, Brownie McGhee, Michael Higgins
Writer: Alan Parker
Release Date (Australia): 14 May 1987
Runtime: 113 minutes/1h 53m
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada, UK
Language: English

CONTENT GUIDE (warning: May contain spoilers)

Themes (MA15+)

The film contains strong supernatural themes, murder, sexualised violence and incestuous sex.

Violence (MA15+)

The film features bloody depictions of murdered corpses.

Coarse Language (M)

The film contains use of the word “f**k”, as well as use of the word “s**t”.

Nudity (M)

The film contains depictions of female breasts and male buttocks nudity.

Sex (MA15+)

The film features a strong incestuous sex scene and sexualised violence.

mpaa rating

R (for an unknown reasoning)

Aussie boy's thoughts

Angel Heart is unsettling, dark and exceptionally-crafted by writer/director Alan Parker… for mature audiences only. This film certainly doesn’t sound or look anything like a horror movie, especially knowing it’s about a private detective who is hired by a mysterious man to track down a popular singer who goes missing, but it works as an unsettling mystery-thriller.

The three main actors in this film give very convincing performances, with Mickey Rourke being a detective hired by a strange character played by Robert De Niro. But we sometimes receive examples of times when the actors who enrol the secondary or just small parts are even better than the leads, in this case being Lisa Bonet who is actually faultless. And Parker includes enough old fashion to feel at least earlier than the 70s.

This movie is very much a detective mystery, with majority of the screen time being dedicated to Rourke’s character. It’s a slow-burn and some may find it hard to keep up with, but it’s pretty entertaining, fascinating and the plot-twist end makes up for it. Angel Heart descends into its gripping story in a grim and dark tone, and it’s important to note that it’s not necessarily the film and its ending that unsettles you, it’s the gloomy ending credits.

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