Angel Heart is a 1987 neo-noir psychological horror film, an adaptation of William Hjortsberg's 1978 novel Falling Angel. The film is written and directed by Alan Parker, and stars Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet and Charlotte Rampling. It is an international co-production between the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Harry Angel (Rourke), a New York City private investigator, is hired to solve the mysterious disappearance of a singer known as Johnny Favorite. His investigation takes him to New Orleans, where he becomes embroiled in a series of brutal murders.

Following publication of the novel, Hjortsberg began developing the screenplay for a film adaptation, but found that no major studio was willing to produce his script. The project resurfaced in 1985 when producer Elliott Kastner brought the book to Parker's attention. Parker began work on a new script and made several changes to Hjortsberg's novel. He also met with Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna, who agreed to finance the $18 million production through their independent film studio Carolco Pictures. Filming took place on-location in New York City and New Orleans, with principal photography lasting from March to June 1986.

Weeks before its theatrical release, Angel Heart faced ratings issues from the Motion Picture Association of America for one scene of sexual content. Parker was forced to remove ten seconds of footage to avoid an X rating and secure the R rating that the film's distributor Tri-Star Pictures wanted. An unrated version featuring the removed footage was later released on home video.

Angel Heart received a mixed reaction from reviewers, who praised the performances of Rourke and Bonet, as well as the production design, score and cinematography, but criticized Parker's screenwriting. The film underperformed at the North American box office, grossing $17.2 million during its theatrical run, but has since been regarded as underappreciated and influential.

In 1955 New York City, a man named Louis Cyphre contacts private investigator Harry Angel to track down crooner John Liebling, known professionally as Johnny Favorite. Favorite suffered neurological trauma resulting from injuries received in World War II. His incapacity disrupted a contract with Cyphre regarding unspecified collateral. Cyphre believes that a private hospital where Favorite was receiving radical psychiatric treatment for shell shock has falsified records.

At the hospital, Harry discovers that the records showing Favorite's transfer were indeed falsified by physician Albert Fowler. After Harry breaks into his home, Fowler admits that he was bribed years before by a man and woman so that the two could abscond with the disfigured Favorite. Believing that Fowler is withholding information, Harry locks him in his bedroom, forcing him to suffer withdrawal from a morphine addiction. Hours later, he finds that Fowler has apparently died by suicide with a gunshot to the eye.

A reluctant Harry agrees to continue the search when Cyphre offers him more money. He discovers that Favorite had a wealthy fiancée named Margaret Krusemark, but had also begun another affair. Harry travels to New Orleans and meets with Margaret, who says that Favorite is dead, or at least dead in her mind. Evangeline Proudfoot, Favorite's lover, died years before but is survived by her 17-year-old daughter Epiphany, who was conceived during the affair. Epiphany has a young light-skinned son of approximately three years old, and claims that she does not remember who fathered the boy.

Harry tracks down Toots Sweet, a guitarist and former Favorite bandmate. After Harry uses force to try to extract details of Favorite's last known whereabouts, Toots refers him back to Margaret. The following morning, police detectives inform Harry that Toots has been murdered by suffocation; his penis severed and stuffed down his throat. Harry returns to Margaret's home and finds her murdered; her heart removed with a ceremonial knife. He is subsequently attacked by enforcers of Ethan Krusemark—a powerful Louisiana patriarch and Margaret's father—who tell him to leave town.