The Top 10 Best Movie Angels
5. Gabriel- The Prophecy
Not all movie angels share their creator’s supposed love for mankind. Some of them actually despise humans. In fact, the Archangel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) calls us “talking monkeys,” which is just plain speciesist if you ask me. That’s the kindest thing he does over the course of The Prophecy franchise as he proves himself to be kind of a divine dickhead. First of all, he’s been waging a war with hell since the dawn of man just to ensure that Heaven’s gates remain sealed, and no human souls can be admitted (talk about some serious segregation). He’s stumbled so far down the wrong path that he can no longer even hear God’s voice. Needless to say, he’s most definitely not the celestial being you want to show up in your hour of need. If anything, Gabriel is just going to kick you while you’re down and laugh.
4. Michael- Michael
Fortunately, mankind has at least one archangel that likes them. Michael (John Travolta) likes humans so much that he comes down to Earth from time to time to just chill with them. It’s getting harder and harder for him to remain “incognito,” what with the wings and all, and pretty soon the staff of a Tabloid magazine catches wind of him. Expecting to find another hoax, they’re shocked to discover that Michael might just be the real deal. He’s far from angelic though. A chain smoker who enjoys fighting, women, and sugar, Michael is actually quite the charmer. This angel loves to tell a good bar story, taking responsibility for some questionable feats and ideas, almost as much as he loves a good laugh. Despite being a bit rough around the edges, Michael is filled with sage-like wisdom triumphing the wonder of the little things in life, making him one of the better movie angels I’ve seen over the years.
3. Gabriel- Constantine
Gabriel’s back, so you can probably guess how this is going to turn out. This time though I’m talking about the version from the awesome urban-fantasy movie, Constantine (played by Tilda Swinton). While Walken’s Gabriel wanted to keep humans out of heaven, this one wants to watch the entire world burn. Pissed that daddy loved humans more than angels, Gabriel has been slumming it on Earth the past few millennia, the whole time planning revenge on the human race. Pulling strings behind the scenes, Gabriel feigns impartiality while manipulating demons to set machinations in motion. Fortunately for mankind, occult detective and monster hunter extraordinaire, John Constantine, pokes his nose where it doesn’t belong and catches wind of the plot. While John might not stand a chance in a fair fight against an archangel, he’s far from a fair fighter and calls upon Gabriel’s evil(er) big bro to put an end to things before they get too out of hand.
2. Loki and Bartelby- Dogma
Of all the movie angels on this list, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartelby (Ben Affleck) had it the roughest. The two were banished to Wisconsin for all eternity because one drunken night Bartelby talked Loki into stepping down from his job as the angel of death out of pity for humans (we went through a lot of “righteous fury” back in the day). God didn’t like that at all, and the two were dumped in the middle of nowhere. While Loki tries to make the most of it by messing with nuns at airports and planning mass murders, Bartelby is not adjusting to Earth quite so well (the guy can’t drink or get laid; what did God think was going to happen?). So, when a loophole arises that could get them back into Heaven, they’re not going to let anything stop them even if it means undoing all of reality. Loki and Bartelby are surprisingly down to Earth for celestials and the kind of chemistry that makes you want to like them even when they’re up to no good.
1. Clarence Odbody- It’s a Wonderful Life
Since this is a list of movie angels, I figured that most wholesome one of the… Flock? Well, whatever you call a group of angels, Clarence (Henry Travers) is easily the most adorable of the bunch. An angel 2nd class, Clarence serves as the guardian angel for George Baily (Jimmy Stewart), a man who thinks the world would have been better off without him. To save George from himself, Clarence descends from the heavens to show him an alternate reality in which George never existed. With his spirits lifted, George races home just in time to spend Christmas morning with his family and embrace what a wonderful life he has. When it comes to big-screen angels, Clarence is the most iconic of them all thanks to his cute and coy demeanor. Often imitated, but never duplicated, Clarence was the clear choice for the top spot.
Honorable Mention: The Metatron- Dogma
Seraph is the highest class of angel of them all, and as such, Metatron (Alan Rickman) serves as the voice of the almighty herself. That’s because the voice of God would undo the minds of anyone who heard it right before their heads exploded. Personally, I think God just likes the sound of Alan Rickman’s voice, and I can’t blame her. Metatron really knows how to make an entrance and has a way with words. Unfortunately, he’s more of a delegator than anything else. So, he spends most of his time behind the scenes. Still, Metatron leaves a lasting impression, and I do love Alan Rickman. So, the character is getting an honorable mention!
Dishonorable Mention- Legion
Look, I’m a big fan of both Paul Bettany and Kevin Durand, but even with them playing pretty cool versions of Michael and Gabriel, the film is nearly unwatchable (trust me, I tried recently). Michael comes down to Earth and cuts off his wings in an attempt to save humanity from the apocalypse. Even though they’re brothers, Gabriel isn’t about to allow Michael to defy God or their orders and sets out to kill the now mortal angel. Despite a solid cast, a cool idea, and one of the most horrifying abominations unto God in movie history, Legion is still a painfully bad movie, which ruined any chance of either of these versions of Michael or Gabriel a spot above.
Those are my picks for the best movie angels of all time. As I said, I’m not exactly religious, so if I missed any really great ones let me know in the comments below. I’ll keep updating this list as new angels grace the silver screen. So, be sure to check back from time to time in order to see how the rankings might change in the future! Until next time, may flights of movie angels sing you to your sleep.