Angst

Great camerawork and an unsettling sense of dread are the two main reasons to recommend Angst. It's an ugly and uncomfortable film, but one made with lots of skill. It's emotionally cold and a depressing experience, but an unforgettable one nevertheless. You might want to save it for when you're in the right mood, because it's bound to disturb the rest of your day.

Angst is without a doubt one of the best serial killer flicks in the history of cinema. And some would say The Best. And I can tell you, it's damn close.

Angst follows a serial killer who is released from prison after a 10 year incarceration. What takes place is shocking and original film-making. What this man does is just start up where he left off. It's basically just following around the killer and just getting to know him. Oh and his victims, but in a more or less personal way. Eesh.

Angst excels in all facets. The acting by the main character, the serial killer, is flat out great, in an insane sort of way. He looks the part, and definitely acts the part. The scene when he's in the car is unforgettable. Throw in great cinematography, direction and writing, and the fact that this is a truly disturbing, realistic look into a serial killer's obsessive habits, it easily makes this one of the best serial killer movies of all time.

Well there certainly aren't a lot of movies like this one! I've been looking forward to a viewing of Angst for some time now, and now that it's finally come, I have to say that the film didn't disappoint! Unlike many films of this nature, this one truly is horrendously disturbing and the original way that it goes about portraying the mind of a serial killer has ensured the film its cult status. The obvious film to compare this one to would be the 1986 film 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer', but although they share some themes - the two can never really be compared, Angst feels a whole lot more real! The plot itself is very simple and there isn't really any story to it. The film simply follows a man upon his release from prison. We are immediately made aware that he is a psychopath through his musings and the way that his first plan upon release is to go back to his old murderous ways. First, he decides to murder a taxi driver; but that plan goes wrong when he bottles it at the last moment. Later, he happens upon a secluded house and decides to have some fun with the occupants...

The best thing about this film is the way that it mixes the killer's sadistic monologues with the action on screen. We get to see him torturing his victims, and at the same time he's giving us a run down of past events in his life and his desires, and this really makes us feel like we're getting inside the psychopath's head. The film is lead by Erwin Leder, who gives an absolutely great performance in the central role! He both looks the part and sounds the part of the psychopath he's portraying, and much of the success of the film is courtesy of him. The film is completely disturbing, but it doesn't deliver this with shocks in the way that many movies do - Angst is not a gory film, but it's more shocking than any amount of gore because of the way that it presents itself. The realism of the piece, together with disorientating camera work, the piercing soundtrack and the aforementioned voice over ensure that this is not an 'easy' film to sit through. However, if you're looking for a sadistic shocker that really does do what it says on the tin - then good luck tracking down a copy of Angst!

An unnerving insight into the demented mind of a pure psychopath, Angst is one of the most disturbing films of its kind. A brutal, disquieting & uncompromising portrait of a serial killer that's also notable for its unconventional camerawork, this Austrian chiller is thrilling, captivating & thoroughly unsettling from the first frame to the last.

Crafted in the same vein as Henry except but way more intense & unrestrained in its execution, supplying a heavy dose of gruesome violence, and powerful enough to affect even the most hardcore fans of the genre, this obscure, perverse & sadistic masterpiece is deserving of a broader viewership and is one of the best psycho-killer films you will ever see. A hidden gem of world cinema, Angst comes strongly recommended.

I have always been a fan of the genre of serial killer movies. Not to get confused with slasher flicks because the serial killer movies are usually sophisticated with a realistic feel to them, causing an unnerving and disturbing feel. Not to take away from the slasher because there is fun in those movies. Angst is the best of the serial killer movies, in my personal opinion. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is marvelous and Amoklauf is also a great film, but as far as putting you right in the serial killers mind, this movie does the best and it is very frightening.

The story starts with the lead character (basically the only lead character) walking up to a house. He knocks on the door and when the door opens he murders the person who answers with a hand gun. After being in jail for 10 years he is released. Upon his release he instantly gets started again murdering a mother and her grown children. One of which a retarded man in a wheelchair.

The storyline may seem simple but in no means is the character simple. After he murders the person at the beginning of the movie we are shown events in documentary form leading up to the murder and him going into jail. So we become familiar with the character. But being familiar with the character and suddenly being put in the characters shoes are two different things.

The whole movie when he is released from jail is narrated by the killer, almost like he is thinking and we can hear his thoughts. When he goes into a restaurant and sits down at the table he starts getting uncomfortable after watching two young woman sitting at the bar. He starts thinking of sick things to do to them and as a result gets the feeling that everyone in the restaurant is watching him. So right away we, as the audience, get this uncomfortable feeling as well and we are also introduced to how paranoid the character is. Much of the movie is like this.

The moments in which he is murdering the family is almost unbearable and rather disturbing. I don't want to give to much away but be prepared to be disturbed. It's not the violent nature in which he kills these people it's almost the inevitable lead up to it.

Well, I hope this review helps. This is a very difficult film to find so good luck in the search. Sources from IMDb tell me that this will be released in the states eventually. If you find it before then... enjoy. 10/10