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Poster for Angel of Evil

Angel of Evil

The incredible true story of Italy's most notorious gangster.

2010 · 1h 42m · R Crime, Drama
Directed by Michele Placido

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Overview

Set in Italy in the 1970s, VALLANZASCA is the true story of the Italian underworld’s most infamous outlaw. A criminal by age 9, Renato Vallanzasca grew up to become the country’s most notorious mobster before the age of 27. Vallanzasca and his gang wrested control of the Milan underworld with a string of high profile robberies, kidnappings and murders. In the process, he captivated the public and earned the nickname ‘il bel Renè’ – for his devilish charm and handsome face. Arrested multiple times, his daring escapes from prison enraged the government, angered his rivals and fed his legend.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
48%
Tomatometer
Rotten

What is missing is any sort of psychological insight. Just what made Renato run? You won't find out here.

V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Rotten

To borrow Robert Evans's famous quotation about "The Godfather," you can smell the spaghetti, but less sauce might have helped.

Andy Webster, New York Times
Rotten

Gangster cliches fly like submachine gun bullets in the Italian crime biopic "Angel of Evil," a restless and hollow rundown of '70s criminal Renato Vallanzasca.

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
Rotten

As a tale of squabbling gangsters and prison intrigues, "Angel of Evil" is ordinary.

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
Rotten

You can all but feel the checklist being marked off, and the viewer is never really drawn into the world or made to care what's happening.

Ernest Hardy, Village Voice

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