Daniel Radcliffe has certainly shown his range as an actor following the success of the Harry Potter franchise. The English star has appeared in everything from horror films like Horns, to parodies like Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. However, he’s never looked more different than in a forgotten and underrated crime thriller that’s taking over streaming nearly 10 years after its release.
Titled Imperium, the 2016 crime thriller is written and directed by Daniel Ragussis, and stars Radcliffe as a young FBI agent who goes undercover to infiltrate a white supremacist group. While not nearly on the same level as something like an American History X or even Jude Law’s The Order, Imperium is still an underrated movie that doesn’t get nearly enough love as it should. Thankfully, it’s being rediscovered by many thanks to streaming. Over on Starz, Imperium currently sits in the #6 spot on their list of Top 10 movies in the United States per Flix Patrol.
What helps make Imperium so great is undoubtedly Radcliffe’s performance as Nate Foster. He plays to perfection the part of an idealistic FBI agent who finds himself way in over his head. As the movie progresses, we watch as his character transforms into a gritty, head-shaven infiltrator who begins to battle his own morality. The film is bolstered by the appearance of Academy Award-nominee Toni Collette, who portrays Special Agent Angela Zamparo, the woman responsible for recruiting Foster. It’s a tense and taut thriller that’s definitely one to check out if you missed it the first time around.
‘Imperium’ Helps Explore the Banality of Evil
While on the surface Imperium might seem like just another one of those FBI crime thrillers that are a dime a dozen, deep down it does a tremendous job of exploring the banality of evil. Yes, the neo-Nazis are obviously the villains here, as they should be, but Imperium paints them in such a way that humanizes their character and shows how harmful ideologies take root from a young age.
Propelled by propaganda and radicalization, Imperium highlights how loneliness and isolation can be manipulated into hate and fear, causing once good people to do bad things. This causes turmoil within Radcliffe’s character, who might seem like he has everything figured out on the outside, but on the inside is still struggling to find his place in the world. It’s his fight with identity that elevates Imperium beyond a normal procedural to deliver a movie that definitely shows a side of Radcliffe that fans aren’t used to seeing.
Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 84% rating from critics, Imperium is definitely worth your time this weekend if you have a couple of hours to spare. Once you turn it on, you’ll be immediately sucked into the story, and while it does take a little while to really heat up, the wait is definitely worth it. Be sure to add it to your watchlist and check out Imperium streaming now on Starz.
- Release Date
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August 19, 2016
- Director
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Daniel Ragussis
- Writers
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Daniel Ragussis
