All 8 ‘harry Potter’ Movies Ranked
If youve watched the recent reunion film on HBO max, its no wonder why Harry Potter is back in conversation. The all together wonderful production brought teary eyes and warm hearts to display. Being able to see how much this movie franchise affected those involved in the making of these films was so endearing. But, just as much, if not more, this franchise has meant so much to the fans. With that said, here is each Harry Potter movie, ranked worst to best:
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Chamber of Secrets feels like an awkward attempt to maintain the nostalgia that the first movie has, but falls short. The introduction of Dobby the house elf is perhaps the best addition of this film, though he only appears for a few minutes and reappears to save the film in the end. All around, this movie fails to find a good follow up to the first movie, possibly because the first movie was so collectively loved. This movie also has the worst Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Alastor Moody, which ruins the viewing experience.
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Order Of The Phoenix Cut Multiple Storylines From The Novel
Based on the fifth and longest novel in the series, Order of the Phoenix was the first film in the franchise to be directed by David Yates, who would go on to direct the rest of the Harry Potter movies. It follows Harry and his friends as they deal with Voldemort’s rebirth and the Ministry of Magic’s involvement in Hogwarts.
Order of the Phoenix is notably the shortest film in the saga. Multiple storylines Ron’s character development, Dobby’s return, the trip to St. Mungo’s, etc. were cut from the script in favor of exploring Harry’s emotional turmoil. The film marked the debut and departure of key characters Dolores Umbridge and Sirius Black, respectively.
Chamber Of Secrets Introduces A Darker Tone To The Franchise
After the overwhelming success of Philosopher’s Stone, Chris Columbus returned to direct the sequel, Chamber of Secrets. Now a second-year student at Hogwarts, Harry must face the mysterious Heir of Slytherin, who has unleashed a terrifying monster upon the school’s Muggle-born pupils.
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Chamber of Secrets introduced many important characters, including Lucius Malfoy, played by Jason Isaacs, and Dobby the House-elf, who would play a key role in the following films. It was the second-highest-grossing film of 2002 and was nominated for multiple BAFTAs and Saturn Awards.
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‘harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire’
The fourth installment of the Harry Potter franchise ramps everything up a gear once again, this time bringing us the Triwizard Tournament, the Yule Ball, and of course, Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory. This movie sees Harry in yet another impossible predicament when he is faced with a life-threatening hurdle that he has no choice but to embrace as he is selected to battle it out for the Triwizard Cup, but this time the scenes come with brilliant cinematography and the whole film feels like a more grown-up big brother to its predecessors.
Goblet Of Fire Was A Game Changer In Terms Of Plot & Tone
Goblet of Fire was a gamechanger for the Harry Potter series. Aside from advancing the story significantly with Voldemort’s rebirth, the film took the franchise down a darker, more mature path that would continue in the next four movies. Given its change in tone and sophisticated visuals and acting, the film remains one of the highest-rated Wizarding World entries.
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In Goblet of Fire, Harry returns for his fourth year only to be chosen as Hogwarts’ second champion in the Triwizard Tournament, a competition between representatives from three magical schools. What was meant to be a lighthearted, friendly contest takes a grim turn soon after.
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Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban: 90%
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is generally viewed as one of the best, if not the best, Harry Potter book. So, its no wonder that the movie is also beloved. This film was directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
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Cuarón was able to bring a very witch-like vibe to the story that fits very well with the themes of the book. This film captures the magic and curiosities of the Harry Potter world in such a lovely atmospheric way that many fans and critics responded well to.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 96%
By the time Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiered in the summer of 2011, the franchise was already an indelible part of the zeitgeist. Ten years after the first film premiered, Deathly Hallows Part 2 finally brought the story of The Boy Who Lived to an action-packed and bittersweet ending.
The film pulled no punches, delivering the thrills and wonder that fans expect from the sagas last entry. However, it also rewarded its loyal audience with an emotional and powerful ending that wore its heart on its sleeve. Everything about the film lived up to fans sky-high expectations, and by the time Harry, Ron, and Hermione held hands after the Battle of Hogwarts, there wasnt a dry eye in the house. So what if the saga ended with a happily ever after? After 10 years, eight movies, and countless deaths, Harry and company earned themselves a break.
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Harry Potter Movies Ranked From Best To Worst
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PG|161 min|Adventure, Family, Fantasy
An ancient prophecy seems to be coming true when a mysterious presence begins stalking the corridors of a school of magic and leaving its victims paralyzed.
PG|138 min|Action, Adventure, Family
With their warning about Lord Voldemort’s return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.
PG|142 min|Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.
PG|153 min|Action, Adventure, Family
As Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, he discovers an old book marked as “the property of the Half-Blood Prince” and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort’s dark past.
PG|152 min|Adventure, Family, Fantasy
An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.
PG|157 min|Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Harry Potter finds himself competing in a hazardous tournament between rival schools of magic, but he is distracted by recurring nightmares.
PG|146 min|Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Director:David Yates| Stars:Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bill Nighy
Votes:512,300|Gross:$295.98M
A Definitive Ranking Of The Harry Potter Films From Obliviate Me To Please Let Me Into Hogwarts
Which film deserves to win the Hogwarts House Cup?
Editor’s Note: BuzzFeed does not support discriminatory or hateful speech in any form. We stand by the LGBTQ+ community and all fans who found a home in the Harry Potter series and will work to provide a safe space for fans. If you, like us, feel impassioned about trans rights, learn more or donate to an amazing UK-based charity here.
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Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone
Release Date: November 4, 2001
US Rating: PG
UK Rating: PG
Also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone in the United States, the film had only PG ratings in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It means that audiences of all ages are allowed to watch the film in cinemas, but young children must be accompanied by a parent. This is because there are some scenes that some parents wouldnt want their children to watch without them having to explain.
Looking back, I think its because of scenes like the flashback of Voldemort killing Harrys mother, the abuse Harry receives from the Dursleys, the scene of Voldemort drinking from unicorn blood, Ron falling unconscious, Quirrell trying to strangle Harry to death, and Quirrell disintegrating. Some parents may not see them as extremely violent scenes, but there are those who might think that their children are too sensitive for such material.
Prisoner Of Azkaban Is Often Considered The Best Entry In The Saga
Considered the best Harry Potter film by fans and critics alike, Prisoner of Azkaban was directed by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón and was released in 2004. In the film, Harry’s third year is interrupted when a prisoner with connections to Harry’s past escapes the magical prison of Azkaban.
Prisoner of Azkaban marked the debut of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney, and David Thewlis as Remus Lupin. The film was a significant change in the franchise, borrowing from other genres like horror and suspense to depict the Dementors and their effects on others.
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Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
Release Date: July 11, 2007 and July 12, 2007
US Rating: PG-13
UK Rating: PG-12
The film maintains its PG-13 and PG-12 ratings for the US and UK cinemas, respectively. This may be due to the scenes in the Ministry of Magic where Sirius Black dies and the Death Eaters try to harm Harry and his friends.
There are also allusions to the fact that Bellatrix Lestrange enjoyed torturing Neville Longbottoms parents. During Dolores Umbridges stint as Headmaster, she also subjected the students to small physical torture. Harry also experiences his first romance with Cho Chang.
Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
Heres where director David Yates really started to use his deluminator. Just like the books, The Half Blood Prince was when Potter got darker than ever. Muggle murders as Death Eaters swarm the Millennium Bridge in London, a Death Eater attack on the Weasley home, a history of the young Tom Riddle and, yes, the horrific and tragic death of Dumbledore. *sob* How could Rowling do it to us? While Hogwarts is still reasonably safe, the peril that lies outside the gates is palpable.
Theres an enjoyably grown up theme here too. Teen hormones are everywhere – it seems to make sense to get with everyone in sight if youre about to be murdered by dark wizards – and the will they/wont they Harry/Ginny relationship is enjoyably handled amidst the madness. The Half Blood Prince also adds the brilliant Jim Broadbent to the cast as Professor Horace Slughorn, a pompous but good-hearted soul who once gave a young Voldemort some seriously risky information. As Harry and Dumbledore work together to find the various Horcruxes of Voldemorts soul, theres a truly thrilling narrative at work thats deftly handled by Yates. Its dark, its scary, and it knows it.
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Every Movie In The Harry Potter Universe Ranked According To Rotten Tomatoes
J.K. Rowling’s books spawned ten Harry Potter movies. Which of these magical films are the best and worst according to Rotten Tomatoes?
So far, there have been ten movies in the Harry Potter franchise, including the eight Harry Potter entries and the two Fantastic Beasts movies. There is going to be three more Fantastic Beasts movies, too, if all goes according to plan. While every fan of the world of Harry Potter has their favorites, overall ratings and consensus can give an insightful view into which of these movies are considered the best.
Weve put together a list of all of the movies in the Harry Potter universe and ranked them according to their overall score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
Release Date: November 15, 2002
US Rating: PG
UK Rating: PG
The series maintains its rating in both the US and the UK due to its mild themes. You have scenes like the Dursleys locking Harry in his room, Dobby hurting himself, underaged driving, injuries from Quidditch, a scene that initially implies that Mrs. Norris the cat was killed and someone had used her blood to write on the walls , a violent serpent, an army of hungry spiders, and Ginny Weasley nearly dying.
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Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Release Date: May 31, 2004 and June 4, 2004
US Rating: PG
UK Rating: PG
As the Harry Potter series continues, it touches more on mature subjects as it introduces wizarding politics. Thus, this is the last film in the series that would maintain a PG status in the UK. This is the first time the series threatens to show a death on-screen , so its no surprise that the PG rating stuck even if neither of them end up dying in this film.
Other scenes that most likely contribute to the PG rating is mentions of Sirius alleged murderous rampage, Harry vowing to kill Sirius out of anger, dementors, Hermione punching Draco, the initial implication that Buckbeak died, and the concept of time travel, which may require an adult to explain to younger children.
The Best Harry Potter Movies Ranked From Worst To Wand
ByLouise Blainpublished 12 December 18
Find out where The Crimes of Grindelwald falls on our ranked list of the best Harry Potter movies
Trying to decide what are the best Harry Potter movies is such a dangerous endeavour that one can only liken it to an unaccompanied trip into the Forbidden Forest. The good news is that were going to follow the spiders together, which might make it a little less terrifying, but please keep your wand at the ready. Theres a simple reason why trying to rank the best Harry Potter movies is like a particularly fiendish O.W.L. Its easy to forget but due to how long it took to finish the series in film form, multiple generations of wizards literally grew up with these movies. Throw in the latest two Fantastic Beasts entries and these are formative film memories were playing with here, a magic that even Dumbledore himself would surely warn us against trying to fully understand.
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Harry Potter And The Half
Release Date: July 15, 2009
US Rating: PG
UK Rating: PG-12
Im personally not sure why the MPA would lower the ratings of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince back down to a PG because I always thought that this part of the series was the darkest one of all. Aside from the fact that this is the film where Dumbledore dies, I found that scene where Dumbledore forces himself to drink the Potion of Despair and begs Harry to kill him to be the most disturbing.
Aside from that, its the film where the main characters explore more mature romantic relationships, including a scene where Ron is accidentally drugged by a love potion meant for Harry. Theres also a scene where Harry accidentally gives Draco a nearly fatal injury during their fight in the bathroom using the Sectumsepra spell.
The Fantastic Beasts Movies Are Rated Lower Than Any Harry Potter Movie
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of DumbledoreIts 49 percent score not only makes it one of the lowest Rotten Tomatoes scores in the Wizarding World, but also continues a trend with the Fantastic Beasts movies hold them firmly in a lower level of Rotten Tomatoes ratings than the original eight films. the first episode, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the only movie of the three Fantastic Beasts movies to earn a Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, but the 74 percent score is still lower than any single Harry Potter movie.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald may be an improvement on Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwalds franchise-low 36 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, but at only 49 percent, its still 11 points less than a Fresh score and bolsters the fantastic beasts three-film average of 54 percent. Dumbledores Secret Not only is it one of the lowest grossing Harry Potter films on Rotten Tomatoes, but its also the franchises lowest box-office opening, causing problems for WBs original 5 movie plan for Fantastic Beasts.
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Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 88%
The Triwizard Tournament is the backdrop for most of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fires action. The film is the first to question the duality in Harrys life what many see as luck and fortune, he sees as a potentially deathly burden. Goblet of Fire features the return of Lord Voldemort and introduces a scenery-chewing Ralph Fiennes in the role, further increasing the franchises thespian crew.
At first glance, Mike Newell might seem like an odd choice to direct a Potter film. However, like Columbus and Alfonso Cuarón before him, Newell brings a unique touch to the franchise, a sense of sophistication and self-seriousness that greatly benefits the story. Goblet of Fire includes possibly the darkest scene in the franchise indeed, the sight of Harry clenching Cedrics dead body was the clearest indication that Harry was officially abandoning childhood.
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 82%
Harrys second adventure delves into darker territory, showing the earliest signs of the direction the franchise would eventually take. Chamber of Secrets follows Harry as he begins hearing a mysterious voice just as the titular Chamber of Secrets gets opened again. With Columbus back as the helmer, the sequel reuses nearly every element that worked in the first one while introducing a few more.
Chamber of Secrets features a more ambitious and complex plot, arguably the most intricate in the saga. The film somewhat simplifies it compared with the source material, but the adaptation remains polished and thrilling, continuing Harrys journey into heroic territory. Chamber of Secrets isnt the strongest entry in the saga, but it is a memorable one that stands in its own right, an accomplishment in and of itself.
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