Anguish

Original title: Angustia

1987
R
1h 29m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Dark Comedy Slasher Horror Horror Thriller

A controlling mother uses telepathic powers to send her middle-aged son on a killing spree.A controlling mother uses telepathic powers to send her middle-aged son on a killing spree.A controlling mother uses telepathic powers to send her middle-aged son on a killing spree.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

4.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 5 wins & 3 nominations

Photos71

+ 65

Top cast99+

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Zelda Rubinstein

Mother

Michael Lerner

John

Talia Paul

Patty

Àngel Jové

Killer
(as Angel Jove)

Clara Pastor

Linda

Isabel García Lorca

Caroline
(as Isabel Garcia Lorca)

Nat Baker

Teaching Doctor - Old Movie

Edward Ledden

Doctor - Old Movie

Gustavo Gili

Student 1 - Old Movie

Antonio Regueiro

Student 2 - Old Movie

Joaquín Ribas

Student 3 - Old Movie
(as Joaquin Ribas)

Janet Porter

Laboratory Nurse - Old Movie

Patrice Manget

Nurse at Clinic - Old Movie
(as Patricia Manget)

Merche Gascón

Nurse at Clinic - Old Movie
(as Merche Gascon)

Jose M. Chucarro

Boyfriend - Old Movie
(as Jose M.ª Chucarro)

Antonella Murgia

Ticket Girl - Old Movie

Josephine Borchaca

Concession Girl - Old Movie

Georgie Pinkley

Laura - Old Movie

Director
- Bigas Luna
Writers
- Bigas Luna
- Michael Berlin
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Mother's role was first offered to Bette Davis, but due to scheduling conflicts, she could not do it.

Goofs
When the little girl gets out of her seat, the floor of the theater is littered with the shells of sunflower seeds. This is common in theaters in Spain, the film's country of origin, but not in the US, where the film is set.

Quotes
Alice Pressman, the Mother: [about a patient mistreating her son] She doesn't know how hard you struggle
John Pressman: [Simpering] John is your best boy, isn't he mother?
Alice Pressman, the Mother: [as John consumes a concotion of liquids mixed with sliced bananas] Yes John... you're my best boy and the best surgeon in town.

Crazy credits
When the film ends, we suddenly see the credits scrolling up on a completely different movie screen, together with another completely different cinema audience of onlookers observing it before getting up and leaving one by one until the final onlookers stand up and walk to the left with the screen going black as he/she does so (implying that the real storyline was also yet another film within film).

Connections
Featured in Tia, no te saltes el eje 2 (2007)

Soundtracks
Rescue
(uncredited)
Performed by Cecil Milner
Published by KPM Music Library

User reviews58

Review

Featured review

Disgustingly fun!

This movie reminded me of many others at some points but at the same time seemed original. It was fun to watch and even though there was a lot of gore, I could stand it since I was so puzzled by the exact plot and motives. The movie inside of a movie plot worked wonders here and the appearances of Zelda Rubinstein made me want to give this an 8, since they made the characters seem as though twirling their hair would take too much intelligence.