So okay, the upcoming Jungle may only be Dan Radcliffe’s thirteenth non-Potter film and only eight since Potter wrapped, but this is a point that gets my goat, particularly in Journalism. It’s safe to say that Radcliffe and co will always be connected with the Potter films and rightly so, but I for one look forward to the day when writers stop referring to the main young actors as ‘the Harry Potter actor’ and press stop asking them about being in The non-existent ‘Cursed Child movie’, which is actually not happening. Therefore, here’s a rundown of the best five films some of the younger cast have been; that not only completely show a new side of their acting capabilities but also are good to watch.
Swiss Army Man
It was a tie between this film and Horns for best Dan Rad film, but this one is a bit more of a break away and a quality surprise, so wins on that front. Frequent readers of The Arcade will be sick of my defense of this movie, but it is definitely more than it appears. What was often referred to as the farting corpse movie, has hidden emotional depth and actually deals with the important and stigmatised topic of mental illness. Hank, an unusual and lost guy, comes across a supposedly dead man on the beach of his deserted island only to discover that Manny is coming back to life bit by bit.
Cherrybomb
It’s an under-recognised fact that a lot of Rupert Grint’s films don’t get mainstream release, so it often appears he disappeared off the radar. This is an error in judgement on behalf of the movie industry in my opinion, in some cases at least. Grint’s best break away from Potter is likely CBGB or Moonwalkers, but the former is such a small part it’s not worth mentioning and the latter while funny is not quite as good a film as the one featured here.
Driving Lessons is well worth a mention as well, but Cherrybomb is my favourite post Potter partum Rupert movie by far. Not only is it set in our near neighbouring Belfast, it shows a slightly more bold side of the cutesy redhead and has some full-blown drama. Malachy has just received some impressive GCSE results and is making some pocket-money at the local leisureplex. But his seemingly easy life is about to get more complicated as he and his somewhat more edgy pal Luke begin to test each other’s limits over a new girl in town, Michelle.
Bling Ring
Perks of Being a Wallflower is probably Emma Watson’s best post-Potter movie but this role shows a whole new side of the English Belle and is among her under-recognised films. Watson, Disney excluded, is part of an unfortunate pattern of box office flops, from Regression right through The Circle. Yet while some like Noah probably deserve this stature, other films like Colonia (seen by few) hold believable performances. The featured film here, while being a bit shallow and trashy, is testament to Watson’s acting range as she portrays a spoilt but misguided young woman who alongside her friends, breaks into celebrities homes and steals their stuff. It’s the most unlike Hermione I’ve seen her.
In Secret
While going against my earlier point of a smallish part not being worth mentioning, I believe this film is some of Tom Felton’s best work Post Potter. While Flash continued the story some fans wished Draco had (the misunderstood but leaf-turning guy), Felton’s character in this drama is truly kind. This is a gentleman who despite his obvious adorable real-life personality can be typecast in the worst way, from Belle to digital release only Feed.
Felton plays Camile in this story of loveless marriage and unintended betrayal which is set in 1860’s Paris. Although his part is more side-lined, partly due to his weak nature, he is convincing as the genuine husband. It’s also well worth a watch for the unforgettable Jessica Lange. If you really want to forget Draco, you can go further back than Potter as Tom is one of the only young actors in the series with a career before that, with The Borrowers and Anna and the King.
My Name is Emily
While not finding America too useful for opportunities for reasons unknown to me, Evanna Lynch did land some solid acting parts. Even though Addiction shows some real raw talent and is well worth the watch if you can manage to lay your hands on it, I was truly moved by the Irish set film featured. Made by the truly inspirational MND survivor Simon Fitzmaurice, it tells the tale of a young girl torn away from her father who goes off in the hopes of breaking him out of the psychiatric facility he is in. While similarly lithe and flighty to Luna, Emily is a very different character and Lynch plays her with ease and emotional intensity.
