Watch this surprisingly good fan-made Harry Potter film

The 52-minute low-budget fan film is not without its bad dialogue, incoherent editing and cheesy acting, but the magical effects are kind of, well, magic

Article by Jamie Dunn | 18 Jan 2018

It’s a shame that Voldemort, the evil wizard who terrified a generation of kids in the Harry Potter books, didn’t properly turn up until the fourth novel, as he is a truly terrifying creation. And as played by Ralph Fiennes in the film franchise, he became one of modern cinema's great villains. If you’re hungry for more of "you-know-who" aka “he-who-must-not-be-named", then you’re in luck, as a bunch of Harry Potter fans have created an origin film for this most dastardly of dark wizards.

Titled Voldemort: Origins of the Heir, the film takes place when Voldemort was a schoolboy at Hogwarts and known by his given name, Tom Riddle. Made for just $15,000, the film blends characters and plot points from JK Rowling’s series with new characters to reimagine Voldemort while he was on the way to becoming the all-powerful monster who tries to take control of the wizarding world.

Is it a great movie? No. Like the later Potter films, this is an oppressively dark and dour affair, with the only moments of humour being of the unintentional kind. Start marking Voldemort: Origins of the Heir on a curve with the rest of the uneven Potter franchise, however, and it doesn't look too bad. If you can overlook some of the terrible performances (the ridiculously good-looking cast seem to have been chosen for their Abercrombie & Fitch looks rather than their thespian skills) and poor dubbing (the film was shot in Italy in English, but the vocal track and the actors’ lips are rarely in sync), then this low-budget effort comes off as less objectionable than some of the weaker Potter films. We’d certainly take this over Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; for one thing, it's a lot shorter.

Meanwhile the special effects – which include the familiar CGI owls, wand battles and animated photographs – are surprisingly competent, and dare we say it more convincing than some of the earlier film efforts.

Labelled “non-profit, non-commercial”, it seems that the filmmakers have reached an agreement with Warner Bros to allow them to stream the film for free on YouTube. Until JK Rowling writes more Potter tales, this crude but well-intended piece of fan fiction should keep you entertained. Watch the film below, or on YouTube here.