Review of Angst (1983) by Pratyay K — 22 Jun 2016

Angst is a relatively unknown film that was at least 30 years ahead of its time. Its cinematography, innovative camerawork, and naturalistic violence are as modern as anything coming out of Sundance or SXSW.

Centering around a lifelong deviant psychopath played by Erwin Leder, the film focuses on his breaking into an empty house and brutally murdering the family when they come home. However he is apprehended almost immediately due to his reckless and erratic behavior.

Not the ruthlessly efficient killing machine able to stay one step ahead of his victims, director and co-writer Gerald Kargl instead creates a neurotic, unorganized killer whose delusional internal dialogue betrays his ineptitude.

Blessed with the element of surprise and three seemingly easy victims to dispense with; an elderly woman on heart medication, a disabled man in a wheelchair, and a young girl, the basic mechanics of executing such a crime are so challenging, he is forced to kill them prematurely due to sheer exhaustion resulting from his own incompetence instead of how he planned.

Leder's visceral depiction of physical and mental fatigue coupled with Kargls's creepily intimate directorial style let the audience empathize with the killer in a very uncomfortable way. The ubiquitous presence of a tail wagging family dachshund nipping at his heels does add an unexpected dose of humor.