Daniel Radcliffe gained worldwide renown as Harry Potter, and like other all-consuming franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Radcliffe (and Elijah Wood) has worked hard to be recognized as more than one character. Radcliffe made an appearance on London’s West End during the filming of the fifth Harry Potter film, in a play called Equus (where he appeared completely naked), Which was well-received by the critics. This was a watershed moment in Daniel Radcliffe Movie career, demonstrating that he was capable of more than just wand-waving magic. Regardless of how popular the franchise was, Radcliffe was clearly looking for a new challenge.
12. Beast of Burden
The Beast of Burden, Radcliffe’s weakest film to date, is at the top of our list. Sean Haggarty, an ex-Air Force pilot, and a desperate drug mule are played by him in this film. He only has an hour to fly his Cessna to a narcotics cartel’s pick-up location. Aside from some flashbacks, rain, and a low fuel gauge, the most thrilling scene in the film occurs when the US Air Force sends a drone to track him.
The storyline is credible enough, but without something to act with (most of the film was shot in a cockpit), it becomes an exhausting journey through the skies. The tale falls flat since there isn’t enough suspense built, and the realism aspect isn’t enough on its own.
11. Victor Frankenstein
Victor (James McAvoy) and Igor (Andrew Garfield) are best friends in this retelling of a classic fairytale . He enlists andrew assistance in his continuous experiments and heroic mission to create life from the dead after some good, old-fashioned pus lancing.
Radcliffe’s portrayal is rushed, and his enthusiasm is tragically replicated in the film’s needless action and explosions. As a result, the pace is uneven, and the horror film lacks a sense of dread. Radcliffe is overly eager to make the film work, and he looks so out of place at points that we can sense his character’s flaws. The film also went too far away from the source material, attempting to distance us from what we would expect from this famous subject.
10. Now You See Me 2
The Four Horsemen have returned to dazzle us once more. Building on the success of the first film, we find our group being pushed to steal a chip that can control all of the world’s computers by tech prodigy Walter Mabry (Radcliffe). The film fails to impress with its tricks, turns, and an ending scenario that involves passing an evident CGI playing card off as a real one.
Radcliffe is portrayed as a stock character who is quickly forgotten and lacks conviction. The entire premise is a film full of incredible illusions, but it fails before any trick is done due to shoddy post-production CGI.
9. Horns
Horns is a man-on-a-mission comic horror film that is dark and vengeful. Ignatius ‘Ig’ Perrish, played by Radcliffe, is an outsider whose sole concern is his lover. Surprisingly, he is falsely accused of her murder, and when he wakes up, he discovers that he has sprouted magical horns that allow him to read people’s minds. They have the ability to manipulate snakes as well as compel individuals to carry out their goals. Ig sets out to find the killer with his newfound strength.
With Horns, Radcliffe takes a chance. Not all good books become good movies, but he seemed to have little trouble adapting this one. Even if Radcliffe wobbled on the edge of success and failure, he was the driving force behind the film’s success.
8. The F Word
Wallace (Radcliffe), who is socially awkward and works in a dead-end job, is pushed to attend a party by his closest buddy Allan (Adam Driver), where he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan). This is when their sweet but awkward connection begins. Chantry, on the other hand, isn’t single. Instead, she lives with her boyfriend, and Wallace quickly understands that he isn’t looking for a casual relationship.
While the plot may appear to be a little obvious, it’s a beautiful and amusing romantic comedy with exciting and fascinating dialogue. Most romances fall short of meeting all of these criteria. Radcliffe excels at being awkward, and his out-of-place English mannerisms add to his personality. He’s intelligent and odd, and we’re rooting for him at the end. It may be a classic, but it’s a great date night film.
7. Guns Akimbo
Guns Akimbo is cool, outrageous, and absolutely insane all at the same time. Players are chosen by an online criminal organization that transmits live death bouts, usually between psychopaths, in this video game-inspired “shot ’em up.” So no one is more astonished than Miles (Radcliffe), a computer programmer and full-time chat-room troll, to learn that he has been selected for the next real-world deathmatch. Kill or be killed is the only rule.
Miles is equipped with twin pistols that have been bolted to each of his hands, and Radcliffe is loud, panicked, and beautifully sad as Miles. From the beginning, he’s on the go, bringing a clumsy, irreverent tone to the action. It’s nice to watch Radcliffe in a more difficult role as he plunges headfirst into the chaos.
6. Jungle
The jungle is a biographical survival story set in the Amazon rainforest, based on Yossi Ghinsberg’s recollections (Radcliffe). Ghinsberg and two pals are looking for excitement when they meet Karl (Thomas Kretschmann), who offers them a once-in-a-lifetime excursion to seek down an indigenous tribe who knows him. How could they possibly say no?
With his fall into survival craziness, Radcliffe outperforms the rest of the actors. Even for the non-squeamish, that scene of self-operation with tweezers, Yossi’s forehead, and a worm is difficult to forget. In the process, he even manages to pull off a realistic Israeli accent.
5. Swiss Army Man
Hank (Paul Dano) is abandoned on a lonely island with just one option for survival: suicide. He finds a body washed up on the beach just as he is ready to hang himself. Hank is now saved by a corpse named Manny (Radcliffe), who quickly discovers that he can manipulate him like a Swiss Army Knife, even his farts, of all things. Will they be able to return home? Is this a dream, or is Hank having hallucinations? It’s entirely up to you.
Radcliffe plays a strange and fascinating part in which he isolates himself from all we normally connect with him. By virtue of their acting talent alone, both performers make the convoluted, humorous, and heartbreaking drama worthwhile. It may have been a step too far for some, but it earned the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
4. Kill Your Darlings
The plot revolves around a group of college students in New York City in the 1940s. It’s fashionable, edgy, and cool. Radcliffe portrays Allen Ginsberg, a poet who becomes entangled in drugs, alcohol, plagiarism, and a fatal stabbing. Ginsberg’s entire collegiate future subsequently becomes dismal.
A biographical film that John Krokidas, in his feature directorial debut, does a good job of balancing reality and sensationalism without going overboard. This is an amazing wartime drama that reaches every high and low, and Radcliffe’s performance of Ginsberg follows suit. It is without a doubt deserving of a place among the top five.
3. Imperium
‘Defend your nation, become your adversary,’ says the subtitle of Imperium. The United States of America is being scrutinized, and the adversary in issue is white supremacists. Nate Foster (Radcliffe) is an FBI agent who goes undercover to assist bring down a terrorist organization while attempting to blend in and not blow his cover. The trick is to accomplish everything without losing his morality in the process.
Radcliffe appears to be the traditional Neo-Nazi, dressed in a bomber jacket, skinhead, and tattooed. Thrilling and exciting, with thrilling moments when Nate’s genuineness is called into question by the racists’ cause. Radcliffe is excellent at playing the cat-and-mouse game of deception. It’s a gripping and emotional viewing, and it suggests Radcliffe could easily continue in the crime thriller genre.
2. Escape from Pretoria
Escape from Pretoria is based on true events and depicts the arrest and detention of two white South Africans, Tim Jenkins (Radcliffe) and Stephen Lee (Daniel Webber), for anti-apartheid activities. After adjusting to prison life and gaining friends and political allies, the pair decides to flee with the help of another prisoner by creating perfect copies of prison keys out of wood the help of another prisoner.
Escape from Pretoria shows us how Radcliffe is naturally drawn to any part of the thriller genre, almost losing out on the top slot due to too many moments of slow-burn scene-setting. The suspense built up during his final attempts to flee, armed with wooden keys that could break at any moment, is flawlessly executed and nearly unbeatable. Radcliffe appears to be mature, at ease, and convincing.
1. The Woman in Black
Radcliffe plays Kipps, a lawyer who is sent on a routine errand to gather documents from the deceased owner of a frightening old house in The Woman in Black. Kipps finds gruesome truths and events spin out of his hands after being given the cold shoulder by locals and being harassed by a terrible, haunting, spectral presence (a specific woman in black).
The Woman in Black is a period drama that is dramatic, spine-chilling, and actually makes you wake up in the middle of the night and stare out your bedroom door because something isn’t quite right. Radcliffe excels at portraying both serious and truly scared characters. Despite the fact that he is still flushed from his role as Mr. Potter, Radcliffe gracefully deviates from his usual persona. The dramatic railway station conclusion, pitting the ghoulish enemy against the audience, is every parent’s worst nightmare. This film, which is atmospherically horrific, is Radcliffe’s best non-Harry Potter film to date.