Daniel Radcliffe's Best Movies, Ranked by Metacritic
Daniel Radcliffe
Rich Fury / Getty ImagesIt's impossible to write about Daniel Radcliffe without mentioning his megastar-making decade-long turn as one of the most iconic characters in cinema and literature, Harry Potter.
In the recently released Harry Potter reunion special, Sorcerer's Stone director Christopher Columbus said that "the search for Harry Potter was insane," and author J.K. Rowling added that rounds of auditions were held to no avail. After months of fruitless searching, Columbus stumbled upon Radcliffe's acting debut in the 1999 BBC TV film David Copperfield. "Immediately, a lightbulb went off in my head," he said.
Since that fateful decision more than 20 years ago, Radcliffe has branched out into myriad mediums, including animated television, sometimes portraying himself, such as in episodes of The Simpsonsand BoJack Horseman, or a series of characters, as in Robot Chicken. He also stars in and executive produces TBS' Miracle Workers, an anthology comedy series featuring an ensemble cast that also includes Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Karan Soni.
Radcliffe has also tried his hand at rom-coms, appearing in Trainwreck, the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt interactive movie, and What If,where he stars as the relationship-unlucky medical school dropout Wallace.
And despite leading an often life-and-death stakes franchise, Radcliffe also delights in playing one-off, eccentric — and often evil — characters, including the whiny Walter Mabry in Now You See Me 2 and maniacal billionaire-criminal Abigail Fairfax in the The Lost City. Next up, Radcliffe will once again channel his Swiss Army Man-brand of range to portray the Grammy-winning parody artist Weird Al Yankovic in a biopic.
Here, Metacritic highlights the best movies Radcliffe has acted in, ranked by Metascore. And spoiler alert: three tie for the 10th spot.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Metascore: 85
Best for: Fans of epic battle scenes and satisfactory conclusions
Where to watch:
Runtime: 130 minutes
The final chapter of the beloved Harry Potter franchise offers an epic conclusion to the lifelong battle between good and evil in the Wizarding World, as represented by the Boy Who Lived and Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), respectively. While Harry and his allies continue tracking down Horcruxes to destroy the remnants of Voldemort's fragmented souls, a looming war mounts, threatening both the mortal and magical realms. In this final installment, secrets are revealed, loyalties are tested, and ultimate sacrifices are made.
"The final Harry Potter movie, above all others, supplies Radcliffe with the gravitas of not just an epic story come to completion, but some real dramatic heft. Not so bad for a Hogwarts dropout." — Joshua Rothkopf, TimeOut
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Metascore: 82
Best for: Fans of dark narrative twists and seeing Harry have something good happen to him for once
Where to watch:
Runtime: 141 minutes
Now in Year 3 at Hogwarts, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, depicts Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron's (Rupert Grint) first foray into teenagehood. Naturally, a term at Hogwarts isn't complete without a grave existential threat to the Chosen One — this time in the form of escaped, ruthless prisoner Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who is a convicted supporter of Voldemort's. But that's not all — the trio also deals with a healthy mix of other situations ranging from the horrifying to the hilarious, including the Maurader's Map, a Time-Turner, Dementors, a mythical creature known as a Hippogriff, and numerous shape-shifting Animagi.
"Potter 3 is, in its heart of hearts, a teenage angst movie. ... Cuaron has done a masterful job of bringing off this shift in the Potter paradigm." — William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Metascore: 81
Best for: Fans of whimsical games with high stakes and Robert Pattinson
Where to watch:
Runtime: 157 minutes
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire expands on the emblematic teenage angst of Prisoner of Azkaban with the life-and-death stakes of the quinquennial Triwizard Tournament. At once whimsical and grave, Harry unwittingly finds himself in competition with peers years his senior, much to the chagrin of his friends and mentors. But amid the pomp and circumstance — along with the main trio's awkward navigation of young love — lurks a greater, more sinister threat. The fourth installment ultimately cements the franchise's trajectory toward darker coming-of-age arcs, with a bone-chilling and devastating conclusion.
"A mature, tense, frightening and altogether masterful film." — Shawn Levy, The Oregonian
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Vs. the Reverend
Metascore: 79
Best for: Fans of interactive media and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Where to watch: Netflix
Runtime: 80 minutes
An interactive film sequel to the hit sitcom — about the titular Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), a rescued cult survivor who moves to New York to reclaim her life after being held captive for 15 years — Kimmy Vs. the Reverend follows the heroine as she prepares to marry Prince Fredrick (Radcliffe). But before she can get her Happily Ever After, Kimmy — now a successful author — must come to the rescue of another group of women kidnapped by her former cult leader, the evil Reverend Richard Wayne-Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm). Of course, behind her every decision is an audience member's trusty trackpad.
"Kimmy vs. The Reverend is impressively smart about how it tangles and untangles its narrative depending on what you choose to do with it." — Caroline Framke, Variety
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Metascore: 78
Best for: Fans of when Hermione puts Harry and Ron in their place
Where to watch:
Runtime: 153 minutes
The beginning of the end of the franchise sees Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) more urgently take the main hero under his wing, just as Voldemort's power threatens to overrun the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. A cursed Slytherin locket, memory-preserving Pensieve, and the titular Half-Blood Prince's journal are just some of the elements that aid Harry on his quest to unravel the dark mystery of Voldemort's troubled past. Meanwhile, formidable wizards — particularly Alan Rickman's Severus Snape — are forced to choose sides in a brewing war that tests long-held alliances and secrets.
"Half-Blood Prince is a bubbling cauldron of hormonal angst, rife with romance and heartbreak, jealousy and longing." — Steven Rea, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Trainwreck
Metascore: 75
Best for: Judd Apatow fans and those who enjoy messy, relatable rom-com leads
Where to watch:
Runtime: 125 minutes
Amy Schumer stars as a commitment-phobic magazine writer (also named Amy) who — thanks to her divorcée father — has firmly internalized the ideology that "monogamy isn't realistic." While she believes herself to be uninhibited and free, some soul-searching shows that Amy is stuck. It's only when she's assigned to profile a successful sports doctor (Bill Hader) that she's forced to challenge her standoffish approach to intimacy, no matter how uncomfortable that may be. This Apatow romp also boasts cameos from the likes of John Cena and LeBron James, as well as Radcliffe, who portrays a dog walker in a black-and-white arthouse movie-within-a-movie.
"Unlike many comic vehicles and just as many big-city romances, it's a real, and ultimately rewarding, piece of work." — Jesse Hassenger, The A.V. Club
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Metascore: 71
Best for: Helena Bonham Carter fans and those who like seeing evil people get their due
Where to watch:
Runtime: 138 minutes
The Ministry of Magic — unwilling to accept that Voldemort is back and recruiting an army — dismisses Harry's explanation of the tragic denouement that concluded the Triwizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire. As a result, his integrity and status in the Wizarding World are brought into question, exacerbated by a new, impishly evil Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), who refuses to adequately prepare her students. Taking matters into his own hands, Harry leads underground training sessions for "Dumbledore's Army," enlisting his peers for a battle that is just around the corner.
"The most amazing magic yet for the wildly popular franchise: It is genuinely engrossing." — Rene Rodriguez, The Miami Herald
Imperium
Metascore: 68
Best for: BlacKkKlansmanand crime-thriller fans
Where to watch:
Runtime: 109 minutes
Nate Foster (Radcliffe), a green FBI agent eager to prove himself in the field, goes undercover to take down a radical white supremacist terrorist group. As he further integrates himself as a neofascist member — gaining the trust of the group — he must maintain his real ideals while outwardly navigating the dangerous underworld in which he finds himself. Toni Collette, Tracy Letts, and Sam Trammell round out the cast of this crime-thriller flick.
"The star's transformation from nebbishy office kid to a frankly imposing skinhead street soldier is unsettling and impressive." — Russ Fischer, TheWrap
The Tailor of Panama
Metascore: 66
Best for: James Bond fans and those who appreciate opposites-attract leads
Where to watch:
Runtime: 109 minutes
This Pierce Brosnan vehicle follows Andy Osnard, a cunning, seductive MI6 agent as he's reassigned to Panama after the revelation that he's having a torrid affair with a foreign minister's mistress. While there, he quickly befriends Harry Pendel (Geoffrey Rush), a highly sought-out tailor to the country's elites. Pendel — who is in actuality a convicted con-man and poor businessman — agrees to spy on his corrupt clients for Osnard in exchange for payment. In his feature film debut, Radcliffe stars as Pendel's son, Mark. Jamie Lee Curtis portrays Louisa, Pendel's wife, and Radcliffe plays his son, Mark.
"Like a Bach toccata or a frosty drink on a sunlit veranda, a first-class movie spy thriller can offer one of life's cooler, more elegant treats. The Tailor of Panama fits that category." — Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Metascore: 65
Best for: Children and families, as well as those who want to immerse themselves in a magical world
Where to watch:
Runtime: 152 minutes
Full of heart, energy, and wonder — in no small part thanks to its marvelous child leads, then 11-year-olds Radcliffe and Grint, and 10-year-old Watson — the first installment of the sprawling Harry Potter universe traces the origin story of one of the most powerful wizards in existence. From his closet-sized bedroom under the stairs to his Hogwarts acceptance letter and beyond, Sorcerer's Stone establishes the whimsical, magical world Harry is soon thrust into. But even as he innocently navigates his new environment — alongside Hermione and Ron, and with mentorship from the trusty Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) — evil lurks nearby.
"The script is faithful, the actors are just right, the sets, costumes, makeup, and effects match and sometimes exceed anything one could imagine." — Todd McCarthy, Variety
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Metascore: 65
Best for: Fans of rugged adventure films and underdog narratives
Where to watch:
Runtime: 146 minutes
As Voldemort continues on his offensive, Harry, Hermione, and Ron set out to track down and destroy the Horcruxes across the magical and mortal realm. Facing real danger — both from Death Eaters like Bellatrix Lestrange (Bonham Carter) and common thieves — and without the protection of Dumbledore or the fallen Ministry of Magic, they count on old allies and years-long honed skills in their quest. In the process, they learn the legend of the Deathly Hallows, bringing them a step closer to defeating the Dark Lord once and for all.
"Deathly Hallows I actually manages to be involving and kind of artful about the boredom and loneliness of heroism." — Bob Mondello, NPR
Kill Your Darlings
Metascore: 65
Best for: Dead Poets Societyfans
Where to watch:
Runtime: 104 minutes
Based on the true lives of the most iconic beat poets in history, Kill Your Darlings follows Allen Ginsburg (Radcliffe) as he moves away from the stuffy, orthodox teachings of the Columbia University English Department toward the enticing chaos of Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan). Along with William S. Burroughs (Ben Foster) and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston), the core four make up the founding group of the Beat Generation in the early 1940s. However, a murder soon rocks the creatives' foundation. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Elizabeth Olsen round out the cast in this biographical drama.
"A vibrant, insightful film about writers and writing, featuring Daniel Radcliffe's best post-Potter performance." — Damon Wise, Empire