Daniel Radcliffe goes from boy wizard to something quite demonic in his newest film, “Horns.”
He plays a young man named Ig who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, a crime which he knows that he didn’t commit.
The urge to get back at those who wronged him manifests as something quite frightening indeed – a pair of horns that sprout from his head. They give him a devilish image and, eventually, dark powers that get stronger as the film goes on. The film is adapted from the novel by Joe Hill.
Despite the supernatural elements, the film is also darkly comedic. Radcliffe does a fantastic job of playing the sarcastic and temperamental Ig, making him a memorable character. He even pulls off the American accent quite convincingly.
Needless to say this film is quite violent and earns its R-rating in spades. There are a couple of especially violent scenes – one involving a guard and a shotgun comes to mind – and a lot of cursing involved. The scenes where Ig’s abilities come into play often end up ludicrously over-the-top rather than serious.
Overall, the film could be a lot better considering its source material is a good read, but the only thing that makes the film worth watching – for the most part – is Radcliffe’s performance. In essence the idea is great, but the execution falls woefully short.
“Horns” is available on Google Play, iTunes and Amazon Video digitally, and is in limited release in theaters.
Grade: D
