Angst

Angst (English: Fear) aka Schizophrenia is a 1983 Austrian horror film written and directed by Gerald Kargl with cinematography by Academy Award winner Zbigniew Rybczyński. It stars Erwin Leder. The film is is loosely based on the case of the mass murderer Werner Kniesek.

Plot teaser:

A man is released from prison after serving ten years for murdering an elderly woman. He quickly begins to feel the compulsion to kill again. After failing to murder a cab driver, he flees and discovers a secluded rural home, where a young woman lives with her sick mother and disabled brother. He then begins to take out his sadistic pleasures on them, attempting to hold them hostage, while thinking of his troubled childhood with his abusive mother and grandmother…

Klaus Schulze’s soundtrack is perhaps better known than the film itself. It contains percussive and synth-based music, similar in style to the work of Tangerine Dream, a group of which Schulze was once a member.

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Reviews:

“This is an important film, not only for its esteemed place in the slasher lineage, but as a document of pure, unadulterated evil. Angst is a testament to the visceral power of cinema, with all the danger and beauty that entails.” Sound on Sight

“The realism combined with some interesting camera work, perfect casting, and a great dreamy synth soundtrack made this one of the best movie viewing experiences I’ve had in quite some time. This movie was years ahead of its time.” Brain Enema Cinema

“Angst is no mere feel-bad wallow in the darkness, either. It’s not an easy watch, and it goes without saying those who think movies should always be “fun” need not apply, but there’s real filmmaking skill at work here.” The Cleveland Movie Blog