Angel Heart

The dark journey of the private eye to hell itself. Very atmospheric, dark and depressing, and I like that. Rourke gives the performance of his life and De Niro, although he only appears for a few minutes, convinces you with his long fingernails and demonic appearance that no one would be better suited to the role of Lou Cypher. All this in an audiovisual treat that literally gets under your skin. (08/05/2003)

A good thriller that gets a mysterious touch in the middle and by the end slides into horror. The story is not exactly packed with action, it moves forward rather slowly to reveal a surprising twist at the end, and it is really surprising. Formally, I don’t think there’s anything to reproach, but the film didn’t win my heart because voodoo is a topic that I don’t care much for, and that prevents a full score. (10/05/2008)

Alan Parker lent his unmistakable, darkly depressing signature to the film, which is teeming with mysterious religious practices, strange deaths, and, last but not least, "strange" people. The rawness of the ritualistic murders, depicted without any sugarcoating, and sparing no artificial blood, is definitely not gratuitous but rather serves as a means to bring closure to the captivating plot for the audience. The film is filled with tension, captivation, and, last but not least, a "pleasant" surprise at the end. Mickey Rourke's striking performance unfortunately pales in comparison to the minimal yet emotionally powerful portrayal by Robert De Niro, who, with his full beard, long nails, hair in a bun, and a cane in hand, looks like... Unreserved satisfaction. (25/09/2005)

A Louisiana almost-noir, with a phenomenal De Niro. He is so precise in his role that you instantly know what’s going to happen. Even if you didn’t know what you were getting into in the first place, like me. After all, even the second part of the finale is pointlessly numbed by the insensitive use of flashbacks. The atmosphere of “the weird South" is of course executed flawlessly and Rourke… He is, as always, a story in himself. (05/05/2009)

The jazz-filled atmosphere of Noir York as a perfect introduction and the disturbing voodoo flood as a strongly negative contrast. With mysterious thrillers, I simply expect more balance, and the crescendoing punctuation, as impressive and perfectly precise as it may be, is not enough for me. The perfectly stylized depression loses narrowly to the unnecessarily overdone Louisiana. 70% (21/12/2009)

An excellent psychological thriller on the border of horror and noir detective genres, with top-notch casting and professional, intelligent direction. Alongside The Omen, it's my favorite film with a satanic theme. The dark atmosphere is primarily created through inventive and excellent cinematography, characterized by views of rain-soaked night streets. The film features many elements of voodoo rituals, and unlike many other titles, it has lost practically none of its quality over time. It's arguably Mickey Rourke's best performance in his career. Angel Heart is about how the protagonist, by accepting a single job, descends into hell itself and reaches the depths of his mental and physical strength. Overall impression: 95%. (30/06/2007)

A devilish film that lacks a little more audience appeal and dynamism for my taste. However, Alan Parker does a spectacular job, he perfectly builds the atmosphere, skillfully manages the lighting, and keeps the viewer in suspense throughout, leaving you unsure of what will happen in the next five minutes. The script is good enough (perhaps a bit too convoluted) and culminates in a shocking twist, which thankfully really works. (25/09/2005)

Mickey Rourke is OK and easily carries the entire film on his shoulders, while the investigation is quite interesting with an atmosphere matching the best crime thrillers. And yet, I can’t rate it higher than what you see. The script, as it has been mentioned here several times, failed to reach me, to draw me into the plot or to shock me in any significant way. And the ending, full of supernatural and mysticism, was okay from the director's point of view and, like a few other scenes from this film, uncompromisingly and thrillingly delivered, but it rather spoiled the whole view of the film for me. That said, a very decent thriller and a must for the fans of the genre. (19/07/2011)

I really liked how Alan Parker managed to find a reasonable boundary for the overall "mystery". That keeps the film from coming across as far-fetched even in its most tense moments; on the contrary, it gives off a fairly realistic impression. Rourke is terrific here, and De Niro is no less. (22/11/2010)