I’m a Harry Potter fan. Daniel Radcliffe was great then, loved him in Swiss Army Man, and I was super impressed with him in Imperium. The film is tense and terrifying. Relatively new to the game, writer and director Daniel Ragussis and co-writer Michael German really brought a powerful first attempt. I give Imperium the Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy rating.
Imperium is intense at times, but definitely worth a watch
Nate Foster (Daniel Radcliffe) is an FBI agent who is eager to prove his worth. He’s not getting any respect as a field agent, but Agent Angela Zamparo (Toni Collette) gives him a chance. She feels he is a perfect candidate to go deep undercover and infiltrate a white supremacist organization suspected of stealing radioactive materials.
Radcliffe is incredibly sympathetic in this film. I was really unsure where this film was going to go from the get go. There are several pathways that this premise could lead. He’s an undercover agent infiltrating a white supremacist organization. There is a chance he turns and becomes a sympathizer. There is a chance he is caught and killed by the organization. He could be successful and solve the mission. Then it could all turn out to have been a bad lead and the lesson is to not be manipulated. There are probably other scenarios, but these were the ones that I was pondering as the film began.
Nate Foster’s life is in constant danger and Radcliffe plays it perfectly. There were multiple times when I held my breath in fear. It seemed like any moment things could go wrong. Yet, Foster was always able to figure out how to save himself. Zamparo and Foster have great chemistry and their scenes together are great. Their relationship has ups and downs, but Zamparo felt organic. She’s a strong female character and I love that Ragussis opted to not make her a love interest. She’s a co-worker who gave him an opportunity.
Imperium shows that not all white supremacists look the role
The scariest part of the film was how Ragussis made the white supremacists seem human. He seems to play with the idea that Nate may not know who is right and wrong. He subtly starts to show the insanity and the hype as the story moves on. Yet, a lot of the characters didn’t feel over-the-top or caricatures of people. They feel real and that warrants Nate’s character to want to save them from the insanity that is white supremacy.
It’s not a perfect film, but it is definitely an interesting one. Radcliffe is somehow able to step out of the epic shadow of Harry Potter. Something that many other young actors aren’t able to do as they become adults. He is such a great actor and is able to really bring a lot to the roles. This film is one that is definitely worth checking out if you’re able to. It’s currently available on digital to rent or buy.
Berkreviews.com 