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| Now in limited run theaters and VOD. |
Available now on VOD is the intense crime thriller Imperium, which presents the scary world
of the white hate movement and the realistic domestic terrorist threats that
exist inside of it. Daniel Radcliffe plays Nate Foster, an FBI agent that goes
undercover as a skinhead in order to locate missing radioactive material and
prevent a white supremacist group from making a bomb. Because of the harsh
subject matter and extreme ideologies that are presented, this is most likely
not going to been seen by a large audience. Unfortunately, that is a huge shame
as it is a gripping and tension filled story featuring a brilliant performance
from Radcliffe.
Radcliffe kills it as an intelligent loner FBI analyst who
fits the perfect character make-up to befriend and infiltrate the racist groups
that he encounters. His character has to adapt and absorb everything that this
subculture entails in order to fully gain peoples trust. We get a glimpse of
what undercover life is like and the high that comes with it. All of the other
actors give honest portrayals and are all believable in their various roles as
members of the white hate movement.
Like American History
X, Green Room, and other pictures that deal with the sensitive subject of passionate
racism, the dialogue and imagery is jarring and offensive. But what is
important in a story like this, is that everything it is presented in a
truthful manner. The narrative goes deep into the white hate movement. They use
actual photos and video footage, show the typical people and groups that are
within the various movements, demonstrate ways in which they recruit and spread
propaganda, and they all use dialogue that would be considered natural for hate
groups. The script and dialogue has been expertly crafted by first time feature
length screenwriter and director Daniel Ragussis. Not only does it address how
victimization often leads to people joining hate groups, it also explores how
violence directed at them can only further amp up the hatred.
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| Ever seen a skinhead wizard before? Didn't think so. |
Ragussis does a fine job in his first feature, with some
help from the talented veteran cinematographer Bobby Bukowski. It’s somewhat
telling that he was chosen for this job, as he previously worked on the
terrorist thriller Arlington Road. The
score is an excellent mix of harsh pulsating sounds, classical music, and a
little bit of hate rock. This harshness really ramps up those moments of fear
and tension.
This is a must see motion picture that features another
great performance from an actor that has clearly shown he’s more than just
Harry Potter.
Score
-Raul Vantassle