Melancholie der Engel

Katze is an aging, ill protagonist haunted by a dark past and a looming mortality. He drifts between detached philosophy and a desperate need for connection, guiding the group toward the old house. His deteriorating health and existential outlook push events toward a climactic confrontation, revealing a fragile humanity beneath his grim facade.

Brauth is Katze’s longtime associate who embodies cruelty and manipulation. He escalates the group’s violent behavior and exercises influence over others. His presence provides a brutal counterpoint to Katze’s nihilism, blending philosophy with outright brutality.

Melanie is one of two sixteen-year-old girls drawn into the group’s dark orbit. She is curious about the disturbing conversations and the macabre atmosphere, yet experiences fear and confusion as events escalate. Her perspective highlights vulnerability and the impact of peer influence on impressionable minds.

Bianca is the other sixteen-year-old drawn into the events at the old house. She experiences fear and confusion as violence unfolds, showing resilience and vulnerability. Her reactions provide a counterpoint to the adults’ nihilism and complicity.

Anja S. joins the group and becomes part of the complex adult dynamic. She participates in the group’s plans while showing moments of empathy and boundary-testing. Her interactions reveal a mix of complicity and humanity within a collapsing moral landscape.

Heinrich is an elderly artist who arrives claiming to be a dead man, embodying cruel control and brutal treatment of others. His presence intensifies the group’s violence and moral decay. He destabilizes the dynamics and accelerates the collapse of inhibitions.

Clarissa is a wheelchair-bound woman who becomes entangled in the group’s brutality. She endures abuse and manipulation within the house, highlighting the vulnerability of those who cannot defend themselves. Her arc culminates in a tragic choice that underscores the film’s bleak mood.

Novizin is a nun who offers guidance amid the chaos, leading Katze to a church crypt and hinting at a religious counterbalance to nihilism. She participates in the atmosphere of ritual and devotion that contrasts with the group’s despair. In the end, she remains a calm, guiding presence alongside Anja.

Mönch appears as a monk within the church-influenced environment, embodying a distant religious authority. His presence adds a ceremonial layer to the group’s aberrant acts and the ritual atmosphere of the house.

Priest represents an adjacent figure of religious authority who witnesses the group’s actions from a distance. His role underscores the tension between institutional morality and the characters’ chaotic beliefs.