Angst (1983)

"Angst" seems to have picked up some interest since Gaspar Noe singled it out for praise. It is more interesting than Noe's pretentious films, but fall far short of being a lost masterpiece. The plot is simple as a killer released from prison feels an unbearable urge to kill again, eventually picking on a family in a large house in the woods. There is very little dialogue but a voice-over by the killer provides his background, unfortunately rather than providing an insight into his mind this is mostly sub-Freudian gibberish (not surprising in an Austrian film, and yes he does blame his mother!). Erwin Leder has been praised for his role but really all he has to do is look bug eyed for most of the film. Kargl shoots the film informatively but he lacks any narrative skill and completely mishandles the killings - they look more laughable than anything. The only scene that develops any tension is early on in a café and involves eating a sausage!. That Kargl never directed again is really no surprise. To sum up an interesting one for exploitation fans but not really worth seeking out for anyone else. (True crime fans may note that some elements of the film are similar to the later case of Jack Unterweger).

Fmovies: A very well photographed B-movie who puts the audience inside the mind of a compulsive killer. A strange film halfway between Michael Haneke for the story (I didn't know anything about the film and I thought It was haneke's one) and Stanley Kubrick for the cinematography (many references to "clockwork orange"). Actors performances are incredible considering they are dead half the film and their corpses are pulled and strechted across long single shots. An hypnotic movie with only narrative voice and great moments of cinema (especially the last action scene in the tunnel). One detail of importance : 22 years after the shooting, this film looks like it was shot last month. I wonder what became this director ? Any news ?

This film combines a hard history of one psychokiller whit a incredible use of the camera, i have never seen this before an after, the camera turns around the actors realizing imposible movement and hallucinating travellings (e.g. in the woods).The name of the camera is Risinsky, one of the best that i see, i don´t know much about him but i think that is a master. If you can see this film is a masterpice of the psychotrillers.

Angst fmovies. ANGST is a thoroughly unpleasant film. But don't let that put you off. A movie about a messed-up serial killer should feel that way. It's testament to the skill of the filmmaking and the acting that a movie gets under your skin. Too many so-called shockers fail in that regard. The most obvious example is 'Saw', with its stupid, hyperactive editing and its ridiculous killer. 'Angst' feels as real as this type of movie can get.

It starts with the nameless psychopath holed up in prison, aware of his own sadistic thoughts but hiding them from the prison's psychologists. When they try to psychoanalyse him, he just says he dreams about flowers. I guess the Austrian legal system is more trusting than other countries, because they let the guy out again after almost stabbing his mother to death (four-year sentence) and then killing a 70-year-old (ten-year sentence).

Within an hour of release, he's gnawing on a sausage in a café (via some disgusting extreme close-ups) and leering at some women, wondering how he's going to kill them. But he's sane enough to know he can't get away with it, so he gets out of the place.

It's only a brief delay. Soon the psychopath is in a taxi with a female driver. She reminds him of an ex-girlfriend who used to love being abused. When that plan goes tits-up, he runs into the woods, frustrated and desperate to kill. He breaks into what he thinks is a deserted house... until a disabled man wheels up to him and calls him "Papa". Then that guy's sister and elderly mother show up too....

'Angst' is often compared to 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer'... another troubling but excellent serial killer movie. ANGST lacks the depth of style that 'Henry' has, which is brilliantly acted and directed with a bunch of memorable moments. But 'Angst' has a number of unique things going for it. The hand-held shots are incredibly smooth and dreamlike, hovering in front of the killer's frantic face. It reminded me of the odd Eastern European style of 'The Cremator', another very creepy killer flick. The camera must be on some movable scaffold attached to the actor, either that or the camera operator was extremely light of their feet.

The deaths in 'Angst' are also brutal, nasty, and (save for blood spurting on the killer's face from the wrong angle) uncomfortably real. There's also interesting artistic touches, one of which is the family's pet dachshund. The dog's reaction to events is shown a lot, working in the mutt as a character. He looks curiously at the killer a lot, tries to bite him as he kills the girl, and eventually ends up as the killer's companion.

It's surprising that Kargl has no other credits other than a small documentary. I guess 'Angst' isn't the sort of movie that will ingratiate you to film producers. But it's a shame 'Angst' isn't better known. Apparently it was a big influence on Gaspar Noe ('Irreversible', 'I Stand Alone'), but I prefer 'Angst'. It doesn't revel in shocks so much as to desensitise you to them. The shocking moments work in 'Angst' because they're largely unpredictable.

In fact, the whole movie is pitched at the right levels. The dark humour isn't overstated, the pace is fluid, and it's neatly structured with a great ending. Find a way to get hold of a subtitled version of 'Angst' and check out an excellent examp

"Angst" follows the murderous schizophrenic, just released from prison, who breaks into a huge villa of the family of three and savagely murders them. He strangles old woman, drowns her invalid son in the bathtub, butchers the daughter with a knife and rapes her bloody corpse. "Angst" is definitely the most realistic serial killer film I have ever seen. Nothing even comes close to the stunning greatness of Gerald Kargl's masterpiece. The murder sequences are truly disturbing and the film is filled with innovative visuals, in particular the floating camera shots. I can not think of another film that so effectively places its audience into the sustained mania of a serial killer's mind. See it and weep as hard as you can!

You who know all, great king of hidden things, The familiar healer of human sufferings,

O Satan, take pity on my long misery!

Charles Baudelaire

Angst (1983) is one of my favourite horror films of all time. This very disturbing German horror picture is a true gem. The camera work for me is one of the many things that make this film so great. The camera feels very over the shoulder and gets you up close and personal with the disturbing events that take place. Plenty of facial shots also really capture the essence of the main character. It's honestly not hard to tell the man is mentally disturbed. The actor who plays the main character is beyond perfect in the role, looking very sly and demented. Plus the narration that this character gives us throughout the whole movie is simply pure evil. I felt as if I was watching a real life serial murder happen before my eyes, which is exactly what makes this film so disturbing. It's not heavy on gore and nudity but the manner in which it was filmed and narrated is definitely disturbing to me. since the film at it's core is a character study that follows a deeply disturbed serial killer, there isn't much of a plot here. this however doesn't detract from the film it really just strengthens it. you feel far more immersed in the character and his thoughts because there is no plot for you to pay attention to. this makes for a very real and in depth character study about a mentally unstable man. topped off by excellent casting and acting. All that's left for me to say is, go watch it. You will not be disappointed!

The verdict: 10/10 a perfectly disturbing masterpiece