Melancholie der Engel

A woman named Katja gives birth, but two mysterious figures arrive and kill the newborn. The shocking act cast a shadow over Katja and hints at a dark history nearby. This opening establishes a bleak mood that threads through the story.

Katja, worn by despair, decides to reunite with her old friend Brauth to return to an old house with a troubling past. Brauth agrees, and the plan to confront their shared history begins to take shape. The pair sets the course for a confrontation with what lies behind them.

On the way, they encounter two sixteen-year-olds, Melanie and Bianca, and Anja joins the group at a bar. Together they move toward the abandoned house, drawn by the promise of answers or release. The dynamics hint at the group’s growing moral ambiguity.

The group arrives at the old house and settles in for the night, the walls already thick with memory and unease. The setting primes the characters for the forthcoming reckoning with their pasts. Quiet moments contrast with hints of looming peril.

The next morning, Katze, Anja, and Brauth spend time in nature while awaiting a mysterious arrival. Katze reflects on parallels between the past and present, foreshadowing what is to come. The outdoor scenes provide a somber counterpoint to the house’s claustrophobic tension.

Heinrich, an elderly artist who claims to be dead, arrives with Clarissa, a woman confined to a wheelchair. The group drinks and uses drugs as they discuss nihilistic ideas, revealing a worldview that life may be devoid of meaning. The dialogue sets a philosophical backdrop for escalating cruelty.

Tensions escalate as the group reveals their nihilistic tendencies and begins to commit cruel acts. The participants drift between fear, complicity, and cold detachment as the night deepens. Morality dissolves into a ritual of harm.

The following morning, the group travels to a pond near a factory while Katze contends with a worsening illness. A nun guides him toward a church and the crypts, inviting morbid contemplation. Meanwhile, Melanie hunts a pig and Brauth assaults Anja, revealing the depth of the group’s depravity.

Back at the house, Katze’s illness deepens and Heinrich situates God as indifferent. The night again descends into coercion and cruelty as the group presses its moral boundaries farther. The emotional and physical strain intensifies for all involved.

Katze finds a disturbing sign in the form of a dead rabbit, while Melanie uncovers a hidden tape depicting violent acts and destroys it to erase the memory. The act deepens the film’s exploration of guilt, memory, and the consequences of their actions. The house feels more haunted than ever.

The group moves to a river where Heinrich is killed, marking a brutal turning point. They celebrate the end of his influence, yet the violence leaves lasting scars on everyone involved. The event cements the film’s descent into its most extreme moral tests.

Anja escorts Katze to his grave, where he dies and is buried with his belongings. The survivors remain at the house as the nun and Anja depart, signaling a fragile, uneasy end to the night’s turmoil. The film closes on a quiet, mournful note that lingers long after the final image.