Daniel Radcliffe turned down this 2013 comedy and for good reason. Audiences are calling it "terrible"

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When the script for "This Is the End" landed on Daniel Radcliffe's desk, he didn't even hesitate for long.

According to director Evan Goldberg's interview with Buzzfeed, the actor was blunt: "the script isn't good enough." And he wasn't far from the truth.

The film got slammed for being dragged out, featuring dumb dialogue and juvenile humor about drugs and relationships. In reviews, viewers called it "a waste of time" and "the unfunniest movie of the year."
Actor Daniel Radcliffe in school uniform and a group of frightened people
Daniel Radcliffe and a scene from "This Is the End"
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What Harry Potter Walked Away From

The screenwriters, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, admitted that gave them honest feedback early on. They reworked the script, rewrote it, but the actor never changed his mind. Instead, he starred in the dark black comedy "Horns", which, oddly enough, turned out far more cohesive.

What's Wrong with "This Is the End"

The plot sounds intriguing enough: a bunch of Hollywood stars play themselves during the biblical apocalypse. On paper — a satirical takedown of the glamorous crowd. In reality — two hours of nonsense with the occasional decent joke.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has 82% positive reviews from critics, but on IMDb — just 6.6, and the user reviews tell a completely different story. "This is a school project with a big budget," viewers complained. Others wrote that they laughed five times during the entire film, and the brightest scenes featured Emma Watson... and Channing Tatum in an extremely specific cameo.

What Viewers Were Saying

  • "I want Seth Rogen to give me my money back, though he can't give me back the two hours of my life," wrote one user in their IMDb review after watching the comedy in theaters.
  • "The movie is nauseating, unfunny and looks like a drawn-out commercial," added another.
  • "The funniest thing is they killed off the two funniest actors in the first ten minutes," summed up a third.
Critics weren't always thrilled either: many noted that the jokes quickly run out of steam, and the plot falls apart by the second half. "This is a collection of gags, not a movie," wrote Metro UK.

The Bottom Line

Daniel Radcliffe clearly came out ahead. He preserved his reputation and isn't associated with a comedy that many viewers added to their personal worst-of lists.

And "This Is the End" became an example of how a star-studded cast in apocalyptic conditions doesn't guarantee a successful film. Sometimes it's better to say "no" and be proven right. Earlier, we at zoomboola.com told you what's so bad about the horror film "Weapons" that makes people laugh.