Fallen Angels Movie Review (1995)

By looking at the movie poster, I had no idea what Fallen Angels would be like or what it would be about. And now, having finished the movie, the poster makes total sense.

While some movies take decades to write, direct, edit, and put together, others feel very different. Like no one really wrote them, they kind of wrote themselves. Edgy and tumultuous, that is this film.

Fallen Angels is a story about three different people, all of whom mostly live their lives at night – a hitman, the hitman’s assistant, and a loner. The hitman’s assistant coordinates the targets, cleans, packs the hitman’s apartment, and provides information. The hitman, on his own, takes care of the targets. The loner, who is not involved in the hitman’s story, roams different (closed) shops at night, trying out different jobs as the interest strikes him.

This film is the second of three Wong Kar-wai movies that take place in the same world, the first being Chungking Express and the third being In the Mood for Love. Both of these movies are also in my watchlist, but full disclosure (since I try to watch my movies blind), I did not know that this was part of a very loose trilogy until after I watched it. That said, you do not have to watch the films in order. I have now learned that, if you do, there may be a few tiny Easter Eggs that you may notice, but they are wholly different stories.

This is a chaotic and humorously bizarre dramedy that also has a touch of mystery and thriller. And while you might imagine that the story involves what the three main characters do together – it is the opposite. Rarely do any of them interact. The hitman’s assistant has almost no real interactions with any people other than the relationship that she’s created with the hitman in her mind. He leaves information for her in his apartment, but any connection that they could have is largely imagined by both of them.

The loner, a hilarious and bizarre fellow looking for attachment, lives with his father and has odd interactions with people outside of his house. While all three are interesting, this is the character that I enjoyed following the most.

There is no large storyline in this movie. It is much more about wants, desires, and existence (or the lack of one or all three of these things) than it is about beginning, middle, and end. This movie focuses on what it is to be a lost soul, living at night, with no grand purpose. It doesn’t always make sense, but it’s not supposed to.

The most impressive thing about Fallen Angels, and the thing that you will either love or hate, is the shooting style. The camera hovers right up to people’s faces or follows them with an almost telescopic lens and curved perspective. I loved it and enjoyed the camera work immensely. It’s different from anything else that I’ve seen and it enhances the chaotic feeling that the entire film brings.

This dark movie is funny and sad with focuses on loss, sex, connection, loneliness, and everything that comes out at night. This being as different as it is, I now really look forward to watching the other two.

Runtime: 99 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: Japanese, Cantonese, English, Mandarin, and Taiwanese Mandarin with English subtitles

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Available: Free on Max, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms