Review of Angel Heart (1987) by Jonathan A — 16 Apr 2009

Freakish, hard-boiled (no pun intended) thriller about a brash private eye who gets more than he bargained for when a pious man sends him searching for a missing person who owes him an undisclosed debt.

Dark, richly atmospheric and occasionally downright grisly. DeNiro, Rourke, and Bonet play the most unique characters I've ever seen in a mystery story. While the screenplay occasionally and distractingly juxtaposes some intelligent and crucial plot against provocative or disturbing imagery, director Parker does a fantastic job of resurrecting the pulpy 1950s-film styling to the screen.

Great for the adventurous in search of a competent mystery with the backdrop of a supernatural suspense flick.