Angel Heart

Excellent psycho thriller on the border of horror and noir detective with top-notch cast and professional smart direction. Besides the movie Omen, my favorite film with satanic theme. Dark atmosphere created mainly by innovative excellent camera, with typical views of the night streets lashed by rain. The movie features a lot of voodoo ritual elements, and over time, it practically doesn't lose anything, unlike many other titles, it adds to the quality of this film. Probably Mickey Rourke's best performance in his career so far. Angel Heart is a film about how the protagonist descends into hell and touches the very bottom of his mental and physical strength by accepting one job. 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)

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 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. (04/05/2009)