Review of Imperium (2016) by Spangle — 25 Aug 2016

A hypnotic and chilling thriller, Imperium has been described by some as a combination of American History X and The Departed. Though obviously not nearly as good as either of those two near-perfect films, Imperium does touch on similar ideas of both and is packed with similar tension.

Daniel Radcliffe is terrific in this film about an idealistic young man who is sent by the FBI to go undercover as a neo-nazi in order to find out their plans for a dirty bomb. Imperium often mirrors reality from its depictions of talking heads all the way to those who are actually willing to sacrifice their livelihood to accomplish their racist goals.

At all times, director Daniel Ragussis manages to create tension and keep you on the edge of your seat as Radcliffe's character explores and infiltrates the various groups of neo-nazis. The character development is solid for all, but especially when it comes to our lead, who is really well-developed as well as the concept that the film uses to help us understand the antagonists.

Ultimately, they are not too different from ourselves. They have families, friends, jobs, and regular lives. Yet, they turn to hatred through their own feelings of victimhood that they blame on others, which is truly a powerful and unique way of developing empathy for those who often seem so undeserving of it.

Overall, Imperium is a dramatic, thrilling, and moving film that may not be the premier film on racism, but is a moving look all the same. Above all, Radcliffe is a powerhouse who really steals the show.