Rent Angel of Death (2013)

Illogical horror. - Angel of Death review by NP

“I’m not your slave,” says Mark.

“Yeah you are,” says Shannon.

So much about this is good – if only a bit more effort was made to allow it to make some degree of sense. True, disorientation can be frightening, but it would be more satisfying to have at least something to hold onto.

It appears to be a revenge slasher, artfully filmed and directed by Karen Lam. It may also be seen to be anti-male. The only honourable man here is Mark (Anthony Shim), who is nevertheless treated as a lapdog by his girlfriend Shannon (Mayumi Yoshida). See this review’s opening quote. Of course, this could be something to do with the other role played by Yoshida.

This is a film that exists entirely in its own world. The antagonists do exactly as they wish as brazenly as they like because there are no authority figures present, no rules, and no police.

It’s a shame that the care and attention that went into making this production look so good, and the decent acting on display, all culminate in something that doesn’t gel, that wilfully doesn’t attempt much in the way of logic and that ultimately emerges as a bit of a chore to sit through. My score is 5 out of 10.