Bizarre Horror Fantasy With Beloved Child Star Is Free To Stream
Hollywood has a long history of mistreating child stars, often leading them to go down a path of drug abuse, conservatorships, and dangerous public struggles with their own mental health. Luckily, one prolific child star, Daniel Radcliffe, was blessed enough to receive excellent guidance in his career, resulting only in a propensity for appearing in super bizarre indie films. 2013’s Horns is one such Daniel Radcliffe oddball, which is currently streaming for free, just in case you haven’t yet had the chance to check it out.+
Daniel Radcliffe In Horns
For those of you who have never heard of Horns, the film’s narrative centers on Daniel Radcliffe’s Ignatius “Ig” Perrish. After Ig’s girlfriend Merrin is kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered, Ig becomes the prime suspect, forcing him to become a social pariah and hide from a barrage of invasive media inquiries. Things get even worse for the young man when he wakes up after a drunken bender, only to learn that a pair of devilish horns have begun to protrude from his forehead.
The horns aren’t just a fashion statement either, as Ig gains the ability to learn the darkest and most depraved secrets of everyone he comes across. Some people are transfixed by the horns, prompting them to willfully deliver their twisted visions, while others need to be physically touched in order to reveal their dark truths. As the narrative of the film builds to a shocking climax, Daniel Radcliffe delivers a stunning and moving performance, with some truly disturbing undertones.
Based On A Book Written By Stephen King’s Son
Horns was written by Keith Bunin and directed by The Hills Have Eyes filmmaker Alexandre Aja, based on the 2010 novel of the same name by American writer and son of Stephen King, Joe Hill. Daniel Radcliffe is joined in the cast by a small but talented crop of performers, including the likes of Juno Temple, Max Minghella, Joe Anderson, David Morse, and Dexter‘s James Remar. Shia LaBeouf was originally slated to lead the cast, though he ultimately departed the project before filming due to scheduling issues.
Despite its star power, interesting premise, and well-crafted special effects, Horns failed to make a major splash on the pop culture zeitgeist. The film managed to make just under $4 million during its brief theatrical run, though reviews for the film were mixed, at best.
An Underrated Film
REVIEW SCORE
Today, the Daniel Radcliffe vehicle touts a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of just 41 percent. Personally, I feel that the movie is vastly underrated and deserves a bit more praise for its bizarre and esoteric delivery.
It seems to me that many people ventured to watch Horns with a similar mindset to Daniel Radcliffe’s 2016 indie movie Swiss Army Man. These viewers were enticed more by the prospect of watching a grown Harry Potter engage in bizarre, sometimes raunchy shenanigans, rather than opening their minds to the possibility of seeing Radcliffe for all he’s worth.
Luckily, the former child star seems to have finally shed that image with his appearances in numerous recent hits, which makes now the perfect time to revisit Horns and other Daniel Radcliffe classics. Those interested in watching Horns today can find the film streaming for free on Freevee via Amazon Prime Video.
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