Such a foul and funny movie concept is sure to polarize audiences, and it did. “Swiss Army Man” prompted walkouts at Sundance, repulsing audiences with Radcliffe’s post-mortem flatulence and what can best be described as erectile pathfinding. But for the most part, the film was a critical success. /Film’s Jeremy Mathai hails it as “an unforgettable and oftentimes poignant treasure” about empathy and shame. Angie Han brought similar praise at Sundance, showing love for the movie as “a unique, oddly gorgeous adventure anchored by a superb performance from Radcliffe.”
Scheduling conflicts prevented Radcliffe from jumping on board the Daniels’ next head-trip adventure “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” but this year he sunk his teeth into the berserk role of billionaire sociopath Abigail Fairfax in Adam and Aaron Nee’s charming, audacious rom-com “The Lost City” opposite Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Brad Pitt.
Radcliffe’s latest performance is another acting challenge: playing an especially weird music icon in an especially weird biopic. Coming from former Funny or Die writer Eric Appel, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is a musical biopic of sorts, but judging by the trailer, it’ll hew closer to the likes of “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” than the Elton and Elvis biopics we’ve nodded our heads to lately. /Film’s Chris Evangelista caught it early and reveals that, “In true Weird Al fashion, this isn’t really a biopic — it’s a parody of a biopic.” Radcliffe plays the title role and takes audiences through the highlights of Yankovic’s catalog from his early days with DJ Dr. Demento to his silly parodic hits like “Eat It” and “Like A Surgeon.”Â
Now as before, Daniel Radcliffe proves that he’s not afraid to get weird.