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. (2003-05-08)

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. (2005-09-25)

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% (2009-12-21)

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. (2009-05-04)

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%. (2007-06-30)