Harry Potter's Tom Felton Starred In An Awful Action Movie With A 0% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Many of the child actors from the "Harry Potter" films have gone on to have rich and fulfilling movie careers. Emma Watson starred in hits like "Little Women" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Daniel Radcliffe starred in one crazy passion project after another, and Rupert Grint (once dismissed as the weakest actor of the trio) has lately been proving himself with major roles in projects like "Servant" and "Knock at the Cabin."

Meanwhile, Tom Felton, who played Slytherin bad boy Draco Malfoy for eight movies, hasn't quite built a name for himself outside the "Harry Potter" franchise. His biggest role outside of "Potter" is probably still his performance in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," where he played a Draco-esque character who tortures the apes before getting his well-deserved comeuppance. Felton also showed up for a season or two of the CW's "The Flash," but for the most part, his roles have been low-budget, poorly-received productions.

The first real sign that Felton might never successfully forge his own path outside the "Potter" series was with the 2017 action thriller "Stratton," an ambitious British movie that fell flat with both critics and regular viewers. With a 0% rating on the Tomatometer and a 23% rating from viewers, this movie was soon forgotten by pretty much everyone. Is it better to be disliked or forgotten entirely? Based on the critical response to "Stratton," the former might be preferable.

"It may sound like I'm really laying into 'Stratton' because I hated it," wrote critic Leigh Monson, "but hate would be much too strong a word for something so entirely devoid of passion." They continued:

"I was so bored by the experience that I wish there had been something to inspire some spark within me, some jingoistic streak I could have fun tearing apart in this review. Instead, 'Stratton' doesn't even rise to that occasion. How dull."

To be fair to Felton, the man doesn't exactly seem to be upset with how his life has turned out. From his many interviews over the years, Felton's just seemed grateful for the opportunity to star in such a major series for over a decade straight. Some on Twitter have mocked his apparent "jobless" energy over the years, accusing him of "peaking as a 10 year old," but he apparently doesn't mind spending so much time at "Potter"-related fan events, to the delight of the countless fans who grew up alongside the movies.

Most recently, Felton has raised eyebrows for taking on the role of adult Draco Malfoy in the Broadway production of "The Cursed Child." The play has been criticized for coasting off the goodwill of the main series, offering fans little more than easy fan service at the expense of original, smart storytelling. There's no denying that Felton is perfect for the role of adult Malfoy, but some critics see this move as the acting equivalent of moving back in with your parents. 

Making some people even more critical of Felton is his response to J.K. Rowling's transphobic turn over the past decade. Whereas Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint have all distanced themselves from Rowling in recent years and have steadfastly stuck by the trans community, Felton's response to the whole Rowling situation is to sidestep it entirely. 

For a lot of fans, Rowling's transphobia has soured many aspects of the "Harry Potter" series. With Felton, Rowling's words and actions have turned his return to the franchise from harmless fun into something a little darker and more depressing. Felton may feel like cozying up to Rowling is better for his career, but hopefully, he takes the approach of the main trio and realizes he doesn't actually owe her anything.