Summary
Daniel Radcliffeis one of the most interesting and impressive actors of the modern era, and these 10 strange Daniel Radcliffe movie roles perfectly show off his acting range. Although Radcliffe is most popular for his role in theHarry Potterfranchise, he has appeared in all kinds of interesting films since then. While some of these movies are incredibly strange, they have the benefit of showing off all the wacky different ways that Daniel Radcliffe can act.
Daniel Radcliffe started out as a child actor, with him immediately being thrust into stardom with the release ofHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. After the conclusion of theHarry Potterfranchise,Daniel Radcliffe was one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, with the actor having a bright future ahead of him. However,sinceHarry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe has made the surprising choiceto mostly stay away from franchises, with him instead appearing in these 10 strange films.
Swiss Army Man
Cast
Starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe, the 2016 comedy Swiss Army Man follows Hank, a man who befriends a dead body on a deserted island and uses its unexpected abilities to survive. It is the directed by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan and also features Mary Elizabeth Winstead in its cast.
One of the most critically acclaimed films that Daniel Radcliffe has ever appeared in is 2016’sSwiss Army Man.Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert,Swiss Army Manfollows Paul Dano’s Hank as he becomes stranded on a deserted island, with him finding a seemingly magical dead body (Daniel Radcliffe) who is equipped with all sorts of strange abilities that can help Hank get back home.
Swiss Army Manis a hilarious comedy, and despite Daniel Radcliffe playing a dead body, he is one of the funniest parts of the film. Daniel Radcliffe’s physical performance throughoutSwiss Army Manis absolutely hilarious, with his performance as the titular Swiss army man making or breaking the film. However, Daniel Radcliffe is also able to make the emotional beats of the film hit home, turningSwiss Army Maninto a critical hit.
How Old Daniel Radcliffe Is In Every Harry Potter Movie
The Harry Potter movie series spans eight films across ten years, making its star, Daniel Radcliffe, progressively older than his character, Harry.
Guns Akimbo
Starring Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving, the action comedy Guns Akimbo follows the unlucky programmer Miles, who gets thrown into a real-life game to the death broadcasted by the cybergang “Skizm”, which forces its participants to kill each other until only one remains. With a pair of guns bolted into his hands, Miles escapes from the deadly assassin Nix and tries to save himself for as long as he can.
Only a few years after the release ofSwiss Army Man, Daniel Radcliffe continued his trend of appearing in really odd movies by signing ontoGuns Akimbo.Directed by Jason Lei Howden,Guns Akimbofollows Daniel Radcliffe’s Miles Lee Harris, a game developer who wakes up to find guns bolted to each of his hands. Miles is forced to participate in a massive murderous battle royale, one that is ridiculously strange.
Guns Akimbowas a departure from Daniel Radcliffe’s previous film roles, with it being the first time that he has taken on a leading role in an action comedy. Although reviews forGuns Akimbowere mixed, Daniel Radcliffe is undeniably the best part of the film, with the entire premise being sold by his personality and performance. Radcliffe’s fearful and comedic demeanor make for an interesting action comedy, with him being the highlight ofGuns Akimbo.
Horns
Daniel Radcliffe stars in Horns as Ig Perrish, a man who grows a pair of horns that make people confess their deepest secrets and uses them to uncover the truth about the murder of his girlfriend. The 2013 horror comedy features Max Minghella, Joe Anderson, and Juno Temple in supporting roles.
One of Daniel Radcliffe’s first movie roles after the conclusion of his time in theHarry Potterfranchise was the 2013 filmHorns, another strange movie that puts Daniel Radcliffe in a rather strange role.Directed by Alexandre Aja,Hornsfollows Daniel Radcliffe’s Ig Parrish as he is blamed for the murder of his girlfriend, with him also waking up to find that he has grown two horns and developed supernatural powers. Armed with this gift, Ig sets out to find his girlfriend’s true killers in this supernatural horror film.
InHorns, Daniel Radcliffe is able to take a rather silly premise and make it be taken seriously by the audience. Daniel Radcliffe’s performance allows viewers to look past the goofy horns and still see him as a character, one who just wants to avenge his girlfriend’s death and clear his name.
The Lost City
Originally titled The Lost City of D, The Lost City is a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. Bullock stars as Loretta Sage, a novelist, as well as Dr. Angela Lovemore, the heroine of her successful romance series. Together they try to escape from a billionaire who is hell-bent on discovering an ancient burial chamber that is described in one of Sage’s books.
Daniel Radcliffe is usually stuck portraying heroes, butThe Lost Citytakes a surprising turn by making the actor a villain.Directed by Aaron and Adam Nee,The Lost Cityfollows author Loretta Sage(Sandra Bullock) as she teams up with cover model Dash McMahon (Channing Tatum) after being kidnapped by a billionaire fan (Daniel Radcliffe) who wants the author to lead him to the ancient treasure from one of her books.
Daniel Radcliffe’s role as a villain is a lot of fun, as it proves that he can truly take on the antagonistic role in a film. However, Radcliffe’s Abigail Fairfax is a villain with a more comedic tone, with him getting some of the best laughs in the film. Radcliffe is able to put on the menace when it is required, however, with him working in whatever ways thatThe Lost Cityneeds him to.
Victor Frankenstein
In the 2016 sci-fi period movie Victor Frankenstein, the events of Mary Shelley’s classic horror tale are retold through the eyes of Igor, the genius' loyal assistant. James McAvoy co-stars as the titular scientist with Daniel Radcliffe portraying his friend Igor Straussman.
One of the weirdest roles that Daniel Radcliffe has played that still shows off his acting range is the 2015 filmVictor Frankenstein.Directed by Paul McGuiganandbased on Mary Shelley’s classic novelFrankenstein, the film is a new take on the beloved story, focusing on the origins of Victor Frankenstein (James McAvoy) and Igor Straussman’s (Daniel Radcliffe) partnership and the beginnings of their work on Frankenstein’s monster.
Although Daniel Radcliffe plays the role that is often written as Victor Frankenstein’s loyal hunchbacked assistant,Victor Frankensteingives the actor a lot more to do, with him being the moral compass of the film. Igor is the character tasked with trying to snap Victor Frankenstein out of his madness during the creation of Frankenstein’s monster, with Daniel Radcliffe putting a fun new twist on the modern take onFrankenstein.
All Daniel Radcliffe Movies Ranked
Throughout his career, Daniel Radcliffe has played a wide range of movie roles, from Harry Potter himself to an all-out villain in The Lost City.
Escape from Pretoria
Escape from Pretoria is a thriller film directed by Francis Annan, based on a true story. The movie stars Daniel Radcliffe as Tim Jenkin, a South African political prisoner who, along with fellow inmate Stephen Lee, played by Daniel Webber, attempts a daring prison escape during the apartheid era. The film dramatizes their meticulous efforts and determination to gain freedom in the face of severe oppression.
Escape from Pretoriais a little-known movie starring Daniel Radcliffe that was released in 2020, with it also being a unique role that most wouldn’t think to cast Radcliffe in.Directed by Francis Annan,Escape from Pretoriatells the true story of two white South African political prisoners who attempt to escape from the notorious Pretoria Prison during the height of apartheid.
Although the film’s release was overshadowed by the COVID-19 Pandemic, it received positive critical reviews, with many of them focusing on Daniel Radcliffe’s performance. Radcliffe’s performance inPretoria Prisonis able to capture the desperation and determination of the real-life anti-apartheid advocate Tim Jenkin, with the film proving that Radcliffe can take on incredibly serious roles in biopics. Radcliffe usually takes on fantastic or comedic roles, so the grounded role of Tim Jenkin is a nice departure for Radcliffe.
4Beasts Of Burden
2018
Escape from Pretoriaisn’t the only serious film that Daniel Radcliffe has appeared in, however, as he also stars in the 2018 filmBeasts of Burden.Directed by Jesper Ganslandt,Beasts of Burdenfollows Sean Haggerty (Daniel Radcliffe), a pilot who works for a drug smuggler that is forced to fly a large shipment of cocaine across the border between the United States and Mexico. However, he begins to question his allegiance to the drug smuggling ring as he completes his mission.
Beasts of Burdenis an incredibly tense crime film, and Daniel Radcliffe’s performance highlights the danger and suspense of the situation that he is in. Although Radcliffe is most known for playing nerdy or comedic characters, he perfectly pulls off the looking and feel of a drug smuggler, with his interesting performance further highlighting his range in the post-Harry Potterera.
3Playmobil: The Movie
2019
Playmobil: The Moviemay seem like nothing more than a knock off attempting to cash in onThe LEGO Movie, and while it wasn’t a critical success, it is an interesting case study on Daniel Radcliffe’s career.Directed by Lino DiSalvo, the animated film follows two humans who are transported into the world of Playmobil toys, with Daniel Radcliffe playing a Playmobil secret agent who has to help the duo navigate the toy world and find a way for them to return home.
Playmobil: The Moviemay not be the best film, but Daniel Radcliffe is definitely one of the best parts of it. The movie shows off that live-action isn’t the only realm that Daniel Radcliffe can dominate in, as he is also able to excel in the world of voice acting.Playmobil: The Moviehighlights the possibility for further and better voice acting roles for Radcliffe’s future, which is an exciting possibility for the actor.
The F Word
The F Word, also known as What If, is a romantic comedy directed by Michael Dowse. Starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan, the movie centers on the friendship of Wallace and Chantry, which becomes a strained and complicated one as they both struggle with their feelings for each other - despite Chantry having a long-term boyfriend.
The F Wordis a cult classic romantic comedy that stars Daniel Radcliffe, with it also being a strange choice for him in the immediate years after the end of theHarry Potterseries.Directed by Michael Dowse and released asWhat Ifin some countries,The F Wordfollows Daniel Radcliffe’s Wallace, a man who has had a tough run with relationships until he finally finds the perfect woman. Unfortunately, she happens to already have a boyfriend.
Daniel Radcliffe’s previous films weren’t strictly about romance, and whileHarry Potter did have some love interests,The F Wordwas the first time that Daniel Radcliffe was in a proper romantic comedy. As the lead of the film, Radcliffe works perfectly, with him bringing the charm that is needed to make the genre and premise work. Although Radcliffe hasn’t appeared in many romantic comedies since,The F Wordproves that he can easily work in these types of roles.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a comedy/documentary film featuring Daniel Radcliffe as the accordion-slinging comedic musician. In an exaggerated take on his life, the movie follows Al Yankovic’s early days and critical career points, including a tumultuous affair with a major celebrity, a domineering manager, and the various songs and performances that elevated him to stardom.
Although Daniel Radcliffe has appeared in all kinds of great roles since, the actor’s biggest, funniest, and weirdest role sinceHarry Potteris undoubtedly his role as the titular musician inWeird: The Al Yankovic Story.Directed by Eric Appel,Weird: The Al Yankovic Storytells the not-so-true storyof parody musician “Weird” Al Yankovic, with Daniel Radcliffe showing Weird Al’s journey from a guy who was just trying to make his friends laugh to one of the most popular comedy musicians in the world.
Although Daniel Radcliffe is surrounded by major actors like Jack Black and Rainn Wilson throughout, Daniel Radcliffe is always the highlight of the film, with his performance being the funniest part ofWeird: The Al Yankovic Story. Appearing in a parody of musical biopics is obviously a weird move for Daniel Radcliffe, but it proves why he is as beloved as he is.
