It stars Kaho Minami as a forensic psychiatrist who is brought in by the police to help stop a serial killer who strikes on a crowded Tokyo subway once a week.

Setsuko is an expert in abnormal criminal cases with the ability to assimilate the thoughts and emotions of perpetrators by interacting with the bodies of the victims.

Setsuko begins to feel paranoid and restless after receiving a call from Aku, telling her that because of her research, the killer's mind will start to manifest itself inside of her.

She visits Aku again, suspecting that he is involved with the murders, based on clues such as his color blindness connecting him to the red clothing worn by all the victims.

After Setsuko leaves, Aku watches old videotapes of the deprogramming of a cult member named Yuki, who blames herself for failing to save her mother from falling into a pit after being stung by a bee as a child.

[1] David Rooney of Variety said the plot is "at times on the fuzzy side," but Ishii "keeps the heady brew cooking, exercising a steely fascination that doesn't let up."

[2] Richard Scheib of Moria Reviews gave Angel Dust three-and-a-half stars, calling it a "beautifully composed and serenely cool film".

He compared the film to The Silence of the Lambs and praised the journey of the main heroine, although criticizing the execution of the overarching plot.

[4] Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle said Angel Dust is "that rare avis, a cat-and-mouse thriller that lives up to – and surpasses – expectations."

He praised Ishii's "crazed, shock-cut editing, surreal cinematography, and bombastic use of high-decibel industrial music," saying that the style creates an "infectious new twist" on the old "serial-killer subgenre.