critics consensus

As unsettling as it is entertaining, El ángel takes an absorbingly stylish look at the horrific exploits of a real-life serial killer. Read critic reviews

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The Angel Photos

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Movie Info

A teenager embarks on a murderous crime spree with a friend he hopes to impress.

Genre:

crime, gay and lesbian, drama
Original Language:

Spanish
Director:

Luis Ortega
Producer:

Agustín Almodóvar, Pedro Almodóvar, Leticia Cristi, Pablo Culell, Esther García
Writer:

Luis Ortega, Rodolfo Palacios, Sergio Olguín
Release Date (Theaters):

Nov 9, 2018 limited
Release Date (Streaming):

Jan 22, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA):

$93.0K
Runtime:

1h 59m
Production Co:

The Orchard, El Deseo S.A.
Aspect Ratio:

Flat (1.85:1)

Cast & Crew

Lorenzo Ferro
Carlitos

Chino Darín
Ramón

Mercedes Morán
Ana María

Daniel Fanego
José

Luis Gnecco
Héctor

Cecilia Roth
Aurora

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News & Interviews for The Angel

You’re a Fresh One, Mr. Grinch… For Now

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Critic Reviews for The Angel

All Critics (56) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (15)

The form and content never really jibe, but this might get under your skin anyway.

March 23, 2020 | Full Review…

Ben Sachs
Chicago Reader
Ortega's energetic style means the character's hedonistic crime spree is never less than luridly entertaining.

January 13, 2020 | Full Review…

Jamie Dunn
Sight and Sound
Too little of "El Angel" escapes a second-hand, been-there, killed-that feeling.

January 10, 2019 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
The full story has been sacrificed in the service of maintaining the balance between horror and fascination. And Ferro really has created a fascinating screen character.

December 5, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Kerry Lengel
Arizona Republic
The movie is made with skill, but it's so relentless in backing away from any psychologizing or moralizing - or just about anything else that might give us a handle on what makes this monster tick - that it finally feels like an empty horror show.

November 13, 2018 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Walter V. Addiego
San Francisco Chronicle
Ortega has a real eye for flashy, chaotic set pieces and a real ear for excellent Latin rock needle drops on the film's killer Scorsese-inspired soundtrack.

November 13, 2018 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…

Chris Nashawaty
Entertainment Weekly
Amazing initial sequence and music. The film centers so much on its main character that sometimes forgets about the story, still extremely captivating. [Full review in Spanish]

August 30, 2020 | Rating: 8/10 | Full Review…

Victor Pineyro
Seventh Art Studio
The film makes it clear about a third of the way through that it's interested in the 'how' instead of the 'why.' It's just that the 'how' isn't fascinating.

July 25, 2020 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Matt Cipolla
Film Monthly
Lorenzo Ferro anchors the film with his portrayal of Carlos Puch, but his performance is beautifully understated.

July 24, 2020 | Full Review…

Scott Phillips
The Movie Isle
I feel it empty, artificial and somewhat predictable. [Full review in Spanish]

July 17, 2020 | Rating: 6/10 | Full Review…

Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
The film has as a first recommendation the wonderful interpretation of Lorenzo Ferro in the leading role. [Full Review in Spanish]

June 14, 2019 | Full Review…

Carlos Bonfil
La Jornada
Though it suffers from a bit of a self-indulgent runtime, it's inherently a highly engaging portrait of a young man entirely devoid of a conscious and the people who enable his grizzly escapades.

May 29, 2019 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Lisa Trifone
Third Coast Review