Review of Imperium (2016) by Maksim B — 12 Mar 2017

Provocative and unsettling, Imperium is an engrossing and dark thriller which delves deep into the themes of white supremacism and extreme-right terrorism. Well-paced, restrained and somehow worryingly quiet, this movie benefits from solid directing, excellent cast and above all terrific performance by Daniel Radcliffe.

Inspired by true events, Imperium follows the transformation of FBI Special Agent Nate Foster (Radcliffe) into an extreme-right radical who is trying to identify the organizers of a potential terrorist attack and to infiltrate their organization. A multi-layered story, Daniel Ragussis' movie depicts only the challenges which agent Foster faces in order to build up and to maintain his undercover role, but also describes a dangerous and bleak extreme-right world. While Imperium is not as shocking and gut-wrenching as other movies with similar themes (like American History X) it impresses with its depiction of the different sub-groups within the extreme-right movement. Director Daniel Ragussis reveals the whole eco-system of the movement, the different types of members and even the internal conflicts lying between different factions.

The movie truly succeeds to maintain its grip on the audience, in spite of its standard story-telling structure. It slowly raises the tensions while it does not become over-dramatic thanks to the cool-blooded and extremely impressive performance by Daniel Radcliffe. Tough and yet an idealist, Radcliffe's transformation is totally convincing without acting as the typical "hero". Down-to-earth, self-assured and effective, Radcliffe nails another post-Harry Potter performance which constitutes him as one of the unusual and versatile British actors.

In conclusion, Imperium is a cold, gripping and certainly entertaining thriller. It reveals a topic which might be unsettling to some and it could really be an unpleasant movie to follow. By revealing the other side of the world of extremism (opposite, for example, to the radical Islamism or similar), Daniel Ragussis movie asks questions which will keep you unsettled for quite some time after the final credits.