While you can still tell from Daniel Radcliffe that he was the young magician’s apprentice in the Harry Potter films, it’s a little different with Harry Melling. Because Melling played Harry’s villainous cousin Duffeling Dursley in the fantasy series – and this chubby teen visually doesn’t have much in common with the lanky adult that Melling is today and we’re currently seeing on Netflix in “The Memorable Case of Mr. Poe”. ability.
In “The Pale Blue Eye”, as the mystery thriller is originally called, Harry Melling plays none other than the famous novelist Edgar Allan Poe. And he bears little to do with Dursley Dursley not only visually, but also in character – or would you associate the shy, morbid Poe with the spoiled and sassy Dursley Dursley?
By the way, the role of Harry Melling alongside Hollywood star Christian Bale in “The Memorable Case of Mr. Poe” is far from his first in a Netflix project. Melling has also appeared in The Old Guard, The Devil All The Time, and The Queen’s Gambit, among others. And time and again it happens that even die-hard “Harry Potter” fans don’t recognize the actor in his current form – confirmed that Melling himself .
Changed appearance beneficial to Dudley cast members
According to Melling, this is partly due to his changed posture due to a major weight loss. He had already started to lose weight during the filming of the series “Potter” and even had to wear a fat suit in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” because he no longer looked like his role dictated. But it is certainly an advantage not to be recognized all the time – you don’t immediately see that he is a “Harry Potter” star, which also helped him make a fresh start as an actor.
Of course, this anonymity is over at the latest when “Potter” fans read the name Harry Melling – because anyone familiar with the “Harry Potter” movies knows that this is the Dudley actor.
High praise on Twitter for Harry Melling’s performance
Meanwhile, Harry Melling has a fan base outside of the “Potter” universe, and they’re very impressed with Melling’s performance in the new Netflix movie. His portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe is sublime and worthy of an Oscar, according to Twitter, among others. In another tweet, Melling is called a scene thief – stars like Christian Bale and Gillian Anderson don’t stand a chance. And elsewhere it is said that Christian Bale certainly attracts attention when he reads out a shopping list, but the real man of the hour in the film is Harry Melling.
In The Memorable Case of Mr. Poe helps young cadet Edgar Allan Poe help veteran detective Augustus Landor (Christian Bale) solve a series of mysterious murders at his military academy. The historical crime thriller ran briefly in cinemas in December 2022 and has been available on Netflix since January 6, 2023. In our FILMSTARTS review, there are an average of 2.5 out of a possible 5 stars.