Overview
A detective's search for a missing man leads him into a dark and twisted underworld.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- hypnotic
- erotic
- late night horror viewing
- noir double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's atmospheric neo-noir style, disturbing mystery, performances, score, cinematography, and production design, while finding the screenplay convoluted and exposition-heavy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Harry Angel's search for Johnny Favorite increasingly turns inward as amnesia and concealed identity complicate the case.
The private investigation moves from missing-person clues into voodoo, satanic bargains, and demonic corruption.
The New Orleans sections draw on voodoo imagery, local folklore, violence, and a distinctly gothic sense of place.
Critics specifically praised the cinematography and production design, while the film emphasizes period detail and visceral occult imagery.
Films like Angel Heart, and why
The Ninth Gate
Both combine neo-noir investigation, occult menace, moral corruption, and a psychologically destabilizing mystery.
Fallen
Both use a private investigator framework, satanic themes, erotic tension, and a brooding atmospheric descent into supernatural evil.
Se7en
Both merge detective noir with disturbing supernatural revelations, urban decay, and an increasingly paranoid search for hidden identity.
Basic Instinct
Both are stylish erotic thrillers driven by fragmented identity, forbidden knowledge, and an ominous atmosphere of dread.
Movie Details
- Director
- Alan Parker
- Release Date
- 1987-03-06
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (1809)
Cast
- Mickey Rourke
- Robert De Niro
- Lisa Bonet
- Charlotte Rampling
- Stocker Fontelieu
- Brownie McGhee
- Michael Higgins
- Elizabeth Whitcraft
- Eliott Keener
- Charles Gordone
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Angel Heart about?
- A hard-bitten New York private investigator follows a missing musician into a hypnotic maze of voodoo, murder, and buried identity.
- What is Angel Heart like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Angel Heart as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Angel Heart violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Angel Heart as graphic.
- What did critics think of Angel Heart?
- Critics broadly praised the film's atmospheric neo-noir style, disturbing mystery, performances, score, cinematography, and production design, while finding the screenplay convoluted and exposition-heavy.
- Which films are like Angel Heart?
- Films with a similar feel include The Ninth Gate, Fallen, Se7en, and Basic Instinct.
- How long is Angel Heart?
- Angel Heart runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Angel Heart?
- In United States, Angel Heart is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
