Review of Angel Heart (1987) by Eric H — 25 Jan 2016

Few horror efforts from the 80's and 90's have the devilish nightmare ambiance of Alan Parker's Angel Heart. The film is pure atmospheric brilliance from beginning to end, with a twisted, dark hearted story of evil deeds, demonic secrets and a shocker of a twist ending.

Although the film deals with some truly ugly elements, it's nothing short of gorgeous to look at, the locations painstakingly recreated and the costumes and props have a well worn, lived in feel that makes them all the more believable.

The real star of this piece though, is the atmosphere. There's a palpable sense of dread that hangs in the air along with the perpetual haze of booze and cigarette smoke. There's a sense of inevitable doom that's driven into our psyches by the Gothic, hair raising score and the hallucinatory madness we witness Harry experiencing.

Visually it all looks stunning, with a baroque, stylized edge to the violence and above all, a really fun detective murder mystery with paranormal elements at its core. I couldn't recommend this one enough.