Rank and File’s definitive list of the Greatest Horror/Thrillers started in 2016 under one company and is now sponsored by another. It takes a fairly broad view of what qualifies, and there are a number of titles that you could generously call “fun” or even “safe for the family.” It would be dishonest and damage the credibility of the list if I didn’t also consider the opposite end of the spectrum, titles that push buttons, break taboos and exist to create controversy. I didn’t start Eden Lake with such a strong warning, and that film is so intense it’s tough to watch. This is a whole level darker.
Angst is about a troubled man released from prison who immediately returns to his murderous ways. The director never made another feature, which makes it tough to compare choices he makes as something particular to this or artistic decisions he would lean on over a career. What puts Angst so high on the list are these decisions. Throughout, we get the killer’s thoughts. They float in and out of what we see on screen, demonstrating how easily he becomes disconnected from what he’s doing. The camera itself is often positioned above the guy and at an angle, so we’re observing but we’re also locked into what’s happening. The chain of events is unremarkable, aside from the killer being the opposite of calm and clever. The home invasion that takes up most of the film is frantic and spontaneous. The director uses it as the canvas and paints what may be the most accurate portrait of a serial killer ever filmed.
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