In 2002, Grint starred in his first non-Harry Potter movie: Thunderpants, which revolves around Patrick (played by Bruce Cook) whose remarkable capacity for flatulence scores him a job as an astronaut. In this film, Grint portrayed the co-lead, an anosmic male who is Patrick's only friend. It was generally ignored by critics and audiences alike. Most of the critics that did take notice of Thunderpants did not respond well to it, with one writing: "This movie should be shown in prisons so that inmates have a good reason to never return." Another movie he appeared in was Driving Lessons, a comedy-drama released in 2006, where he starred opposite Julie Walters. The film was met with a mixed reception by critics, but his portrayal of an oppressed teenaged boy was generally praised. "Grint, on the other hand, is a revelation" and he "displays an innate naturalness mixed with personal charisma that turn a potentially pathetic" character into a more likeable and comedic person, wrote ALT Film Guide's Andre Soares.
In July 2008, it was announced that Grint would star in the independent gritty thriller Cherrybomb with Robert Sheehan and Kimberley Nixon. Grint found shooting this to be much more different than the Harry Potter movies since he had to adjust to doing a dozen scenes per day. Grint's character – Malacy, a worker at Belfast – goes to high lengths to impress his boss's daughter whom he is infatuated with. This film, like his next project, would involve him playing violent roles. Despite premiering at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival, it was initially unable to find a distributor. An online campaign by Grint's fans was credited with helping to secure a deal for distribution in the UK in 2010.
Jonathan Lynn directed Grint in Wild Target, a 2010 comedy thriller release, which he starred in alongside Emily Blunt and Bill Nighy. A remake of the 1993 French film Cible Emouvante, Wild Target was made on a relatively low production budget of US$8 million. However, it was a commercial failure, only earning back US$3.4 million. It also garnered mostly negative reviews in the media, who criticised it for dishonouring the original film and wasting the comedic potential of its cast. In 2011, Grint was cast as the lead character in the small budgeted anti-war Norwegian film Comrade, which will be directed by Petter Næss. Principal photography started in April, and the project, which was shot on location is slated for a 2012 release. Comrade is based on a true story that took place on 27 April 1940, when German Luftwaffe pilot Horst Schopis’s bomber was shot down at Grotli by an RAF fighter, which then crash-landed. The several German and English crew members found shelter by chance during a strong winter there.
