One month after his 11th birthday, child actor Daniel Radcliffe was cast in the life-changing role of Harry Potter. Radcliffe would play the role in eight films of what became one of the biggest movie franchises of the 21st century.
The role turned Radcliffe into a huge star and a household name. Over the years, he has appeared in many films outside of the “Wizarding World,” reinventing himself as a uniquely talented actor above and beyond his first and most high-profile role. With his latest film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, currently in post production, now is a great time to look back at his career.
Daniel Radcliffe’s Top 5 Harry Potter Movies
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
After the success of Order of the Phoenix, director David Yates returned for the sixth Harry Potter installment. It was highly praised for its acting, depth, and visuals. J.K. Rowling even said it was her favorite adaptation at the time, according to Coming Soon. It was also the darkest Harry Potter film yet.
As Voldemort’s army grows, Dumbledore continues to prepare Harry for the final showdown with the dark lord. Harry also begins to fall for Ron’s sister Ginny, who would eventually be his wife. In a shock cliffhanger, Harry witnesses one of his key allies killed by an unexpected character and the reason is not revealed until Deathly Hallows.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
With both Chris Columbus and Alfonso Cuarón passing, Mike Newell was chosen to direct the complex Goblet of Fire. At one point producer David Heyman even told the BBC that they were considering breaking the book up into two films. Radcliffe was praised for his ever improving performance which was more nuanced and dimensional according to Variety.
The Goblet of Fire is a powerful magic object that impartially selects the 3 participants of the Triwizard Tournament, but this time a fourth name was draw: the underaged Harry Potter. Some students believed Potter cheated, including his friend Ron. After completing a series of tasks, Potter wins the tournament but finds that his entry was orchestrated in order to summon Voldemort to a new body.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Daniel Radcliffe’s final outing as Harry Potter was definitely one of the best. The technical aspects of the filmmaker were brilliantly executed and the acting was spot on as well. It was the highest grossing film of 2011 and remains the highest grossing film of the entire “Wizarding World” franchise.
The second half of the adaptation of JK Rowling’s book, it follows Radcliffe’s Potter as he attempts to destroy Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes and defeat the menace once and for all. The outstanding final battle between Voldemort and Potter is comparable to the scope of a Lord of the Rings scene and left fans very satisfied.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
David Yates was brought on to direct Harry Potter 5 and somehow managed to condense the longest Book into a the shortest, yet one of the most satisfying, films. Yates was such a great fit for Harry Potter that he has directed all 6 subsequent Harry Potter and Fantastic Beast movies.
The film has an intriguing layer of politics. The Ministry of Magic is in denial about Voldemort’s return. Professor Dolores Umbridge is refusing to teach students defensive magic spells so Potter and the gang start an underground group called “Dumbledore’s Army”. With fans growing up with the films, they also got to see Harry’s first kiss.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Now multiple academy award winning director Alfonso Cuarón, who has directed Children of Men, Gravity, and Roma, was brought on to direct. This was his only Potter film, but is considered by many to be the best. The film was deeper, darker, and more sophisticated than the first two installments. The visual effects were also a huge improvement, with the series earning it’s first oscar nomination of that category.
The film introduces Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, once a friend of James Potter he was wrongfully convicted of the murder of Peter Pettigrew who had actually fakes his own death. Though Black is thought to be an ally of Voldemort, Potter learns that he is in fact innocent and comes to befriend him.
Daniel Radcliffe’s Top 5 Other Movies
The Lost City (2022)
Radcliffe’s most recent film is the hilarious adventure comedy The Lost City. The film stars Sandra Bullock as the writer of an adventure novel who is kidnapped and taken to the jungle. Channing Tatum plays the model who appears on her book cover who goes into the jungle to rescue her.
Continuing his trend of playing unconventional roles, Radcliffe shines as the main villainy Abigail Fairfax, an eccentric billionaire who kidnaps Bullock’s character in hopes that she will lead him to a lost treasure. The film was well received and financially successful but lacks the depth and cleverness of great adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Jungle (2017)
In Jungle, Radcliffe stars as the real life adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg in a film about his survival in the amazon in 1981. While the film itself received average reviews, Radcliffe was highly praised for his performance.
While in Bolivia, Yossi and two friends decide to take a trek into the jungle to meet native tribes after they meet a man named Karl who they don’t know is wanted by the police. The group is eventually split up and Yossi survives alone until he is found by boat police. The film is dedicated to Yossi’s friend Marcus who was never found, presumably killed by Karl.
The F Word (2013)
The F Word, released as What If? in some countries, is a romantic comedy that paired Radcliffe up with Elia Kazan’s granddaughter Zoe. Adam Driver and MacKenzie Davis appear in the film as well. The film was well received and was nominated for several Canadian Screen Awards including Best Picture and Radcliffe for Best Actor.
After a bad experience with a prior relationship, Radcliffe’s character Wallace meets Chantry. Although Chantry is in a long term relationship, they spend plenty of time with each other and experience many ups and downs as their friendship blossoms.
Escape From Pretoria
Escape From Pretoria is the real life story of Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, Apartheid protestors who daringly escaped from Pretoria Prision in 1979. Radcliffe portrays Jenkins and the film is based on Jenkin’s book Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison. The name Inside Out was obviously taken by another film.
Though the film may not have the depth of thrillers like Escape From Alcatraz, it is never the less a thrilling escape movie. The characters steal wood from the wood shop and makes keys that will open the prison doors. The characters escape in a tense third act and eventually make their way to London.
Swiss Army Man
Swiss Army Man is a 2016 absurdist comedy distributed by A24 that stars Radcliffe, Paul Dano and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Radcliffe plays a corpse named Manny who, like a Swiss Army knife, is found to have numerous useful abilities.
As bizarre and absurd as they come, the film is also deep and inventive. The corpse’s bodily functions are used by Paul Dano’s character is creative ways. For example he rises the corpse like a Jet Ski, using its farts to propel itself along the water. Since Manny doesn’t remember his former life, he has to be taught everything from scratch like a child which leads to some humorous situations.
