Harry Potter Films Ranked

I’m in a ranking mood. So here’s my ranking of each Harry Potter film (not including the Fantastic Beasts films).

8) The Deathly Hallows: Part One

There was a lot to cover in the final book and this was the first (and probably only) time I agreed with the creative choice to split a film up into two films. That said, the first part of Deathly Hallows, while a good preamble, isn’t a great film to me especially when compared to the others. It more or less does its job in providing the events and plot prior to the big finale, but it feels underwhelming, undercooked, or off. It’s like the scenes between Harry and Ginny in Half-Blood Prince except lasting for the majority of the film. It’s a bit awkward and there’s a lack of charm. The scene where Harry and Hermione dance is one such example, but the weird tone is more pervasive than that. Maybe beyond its awkwardness, weirdness, or underwhelming-ness it feels… dry? Kind of like a history book in visual form.

7) The Half-Blood Prince

This is the film I remember as having awkward teen romance. Dumbledore dies too. I give this film credit for attempting to give Malfoy moments for the audience to empathize with, though I think the only antagonistic character who the films altogether successfully make tragic is Snape. Anyway, the teen romance was relatively fine. The Harry & Ginny scenes weren’t so fine and are, in my opinion, the worst part of the series. Even so, there’s a better sense of cohesion than Deathly Hallows: Part One and characters seem more lively and engaging despite the weird tone. Slughorn is a sort of underappreciated character, and I did like the dynamics he brought to the plot and overall film.

6) The Order of the Phoenix

I like this film for probably its most notable antagonist in the way of Umbridge. I also like the independence, unity, and defiance of the protagonists providing a sense of hope in the face of looming evil. And of course there’s the film’s climax which is, in my opinion, the best out of all the others in terms of plot beats and marvel from Sirius’s death to Dumbledore facing off with Voldemort. The Legilimency bit was meh, but I’ll give it a pass. There’s enough life in the characters and plot that make the change in tone this film brings about and that carries through to the end of the series serviceable. This tone I’ve referenced in these latter few films seems to arise from this film, and a visual element I found signifying this tone is the washed out and dim lighting of many scenes. I get it on a metaphorical level with how the plot is getting more serious, but it didn’t vibe with me. Anyway, there are some memorable pieces like “Dumbledore’s Army,” “Fireworks,” and “The Room of Requirement” that also add to the experience in a good way.

5) The Goblet of Fire

Upon first watching Goblet of Fire, I was extremely disappointed with what the film gave given the book is my favorite in the series. The Quidditch World Cup was among my favorite bits of the story, and that really sullied my experience when it (among other things) was cut from the opening act. Still, I found enjoyment with the film and upon subsequent viewings I’ve come to appreciate the film a bit more. Things I like include how the graveyard scene was handled, how Cedric’s death was handled, how the second task was handled, and Barty Crouch Jr.’s character. Some other things I don’t really like include the infamous Dumbledore freak-out opposite his demeanor per the books (a really strange choice by the director to oppose the line “Dumbledore asked calmly”) and the lack of interactions and competitiveness between the schools. The ending with Hermione lightheartedly saying, “Everything is going to change now, isn’t it?” and Harry responding with a deadpan, “Yes.” was kind of weird following the somberness of Cedric’s death. That’s about all I have to say about this, other than this film lands squarely in the middle of my ranking.

4) The Deathly Hallows: Part Two

After seeing this, I thought it was the best in the franchise. It was just so well done in concluding the series from Snape’s character, to Ron and Hermione’s relationship, to Neville’s character, to Bellatrix’s character, and to (of course) Harry’s character. There is just about nothing I would have wanted differently as it was satisfying all around, fulfilling its role as the finale and doing it very well if not exceedingly. Maybe some character sendoffs felt a bit awkward or rushed like Goyle, discount Crabbe, the Malfoys, Lupin and Tonks, and some of the professors. Why I found this a bit less good than the other films is that it suffers from not exactly being standalone just like the first part. But, again, overall this film achieves all that it needs to similarly to Deathly Hallows: Part One only a whole lot better.

3) The Chamber of Secrets

There are some significant players added to the field in this film, and it does a really good job. Characters like Tom Riddle, Cornelius Fudge, Aragog, Moaning Myrtle, Lucius Malfoy, Gilderoy Lockhart, and of course Dobby. Some definitely play more of a significant role in later films than others (Gilderoy is nonexistent beyond this film), but they’re all arguably interesting characters with a significant role in this film. This is also probably the best Ginny ever was in the films before… whatever happened in the later films. Does this film succeed in nailing its plot beats and emotional beats the same way Deathly Hallows: Part Two does? Maybe, maybe not. What puts this above the others is that not only is the plot solid and satisfying, not only does it stand on its own, and not only does it weave in a mystery, it also captures the magical tone of the books. Chamber of Secrets is one of two movies I think that actually does capture this tone. I credit the director Christopher Columbus for this, for allowing space for in-between plot moments and liveliness of the magic world. Classes on magic, banter between the three primary protagonists, quidditch scenes, and general school and dormitory life fall off quite a bit after this film, which makes me appreciate the first two films a lot more than the others.

2) The Sorcerer’s Stone

This is the film that started it all and set up it all. The reason I put it above Chamber of Secrets is because I think it does what Chamber of Secrets does with tone but better. Sorcerer’s Stone nails the tone of the books in the way of capturing a magical quality and sense of wonder. No matter how many times I see Harry enter Diagon Alley it always feels magical. The idea of Hogwarts actually being a school for magic is never more apparent than this film. Students are actually learning spells and sports and it’s not always integral to the plot. Sure there’s a villain, but there’s also quidditch and classes and competing houses and holidays and seasons. There’s a scene that only has Harry looking out a window; and there’s a scene where Harry takes Hedwig out in the snow. Simple world-building and character-building moments like those I really appreciate. And I like that there are twists with who certain characters are like Quirrell and Snape. I almost forgot to mention Dumbledore being the most Dumbledore-y in this film (and Chamber of Secrets) than the rest of the films. This isn’t to say Michael Gambon didn’t do a good job, as I think he captured Dumbledore’s more serious/badass side very well, but the goofy charm Richard Harris captured as being more in line with Dumbledore’s personality was very good.

1) The Prisoner of Azkaban

For me, this was the turning point of when Harry Potter became a cultural phenomenon. I was young yet already avidly reading the books as they were released, and then this film released and made me realize there were people other than within my family that not only liked the series but liked them possibly more than we did. When I saw Prisoner of Azkaban in the theater I thought it was a good movie, but what surprised me and stuck with me was that the audience clapped and cheered at the end. It was my first experience with a movie audience applauding. It was strange but fun. Anyway, this film is also a turning point when it comes to the tone the series goes. I think it does a good job weaving lightheartedness with seriousness (or Sirius-ness). The plot is thoroughly compelling, and in my opinion it is the most compelling plot among all of the movies. The soundtrack has several memorable pieces and it overall fits the tone and story going on very well. The cinematography was also very neat compared to the other films. The ending shot is also a bold artistic choice, and it’s one that I appreciate more than question. My teensy-weensy critique of the film would be that it has some changes from the books I would’ve liked kept. And, although Prisoner of Azkaban may not have the visual marvels of Order of the Phoenix or the large-scale, high-end stakes of Deathly Hallows: Part Two, everything about it works together so well I consider it better than all of the other films.