In 2001, the film world was introduced to the Boy Who Lived. Over the course of 10 years, Harry Potter would become the fourth highest-grossing movie franchise of all-time. Based on the series of fantasy novels written by J.K. Rowling just 4 years before the first film, Harry Potter has become a global phenomenon unlike no other. To this day, children and adults alike, continue to be engrossed by the Wizarding World.
Between a companion website, an award-winning play, and an epic theme park land that brings the world of Hogwarts and Diagon Alley to life, it’s almost impossible to not find a Potterhead who knows everything about their Hogwarts House to a tee. While J.K. Rowling’s books established the imaginative world and beloved characters, it was the picture perfect casting, incredible set-design and enchanting vision of multiple film directors that have enabled the Harry Potter films to stand the test of time.
Given that the franchise remains as popular as ever, and the celebration of Harry Potter’s 20th Anniversary was commemorated earlier this year with the HBO Max special, there is no better way to kick off Frozen Mouse Fever’s foray into the world of Universal Studios then by ranking each and every Harry Potter film from great to bloody brilliant (the Fantastic Beasts films don’t count).
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Despite being one of the shortest books in the franchise, Chamber of Secrets is the longest film in the canon at 161 minutes. Trying to fit in nearly every detail in Rowling’s book hindered this sequel at times with meandering pacing in parts. It’s also evident the main trio of actors were still finding their footing with these characters, which was an extra challenge considering how plot heavy Chamber of Secrets quickly becomes. However, this film introduces two fan favourite characters in Dobby and Gilderoy Lockhart, providing the comic relief that is much needed since this film also further establishes the Wizard World’s dark past. It’s still a great movie, and a perfect final run for Richard Harris as Dumbledore before his passing, but doesn’t stand out as much as the rest of the franchise.
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
When doing a Harry Potter binge, Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is a beautiful piece of storytelling that smoothly connects the stories together. However, as a standalone film, it’s clear that this is a story that is going through the motions to set up the grand finale in Part 2. The film is sluggish at times, especially during the period in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione are camping out, bickering, and awkwardly dancing the pain away. Despite this necessary; albeit somewhat boring conflict, it does set up an emotional payoff that ends in tragedy and builds up the anticipation of the Battle of Hogwarts. The first and last half of the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 also includes beautiful sequences such as the haunting Deathly Hallows story, and fun moments like Bill and Fleur’s wedding. It’s a solid film, but a fully magical experience means having to watch Part 2 right after.
6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
The film that started it all, Philosopher’s Stone (yes, it’s called Philosopher!) had no choice but to be excellent. There have been plenty of fantasy films based on children’s books that have come before and after that never saw past the first movie due to poor reception. Yet, director Chris Columbus delivered by creating a world so fantastical and putting together a flawless cast that immediately hold your attention. Philosopher’s Stone is certainly more skewered towards children due to its 11-year-old protagonist, but it still manages to capture the heart of its adult audience with the universal themes of friendship and family. Sure, it’s pretty simple, but this first installment of the franchise established the building blocks of Hogwarts and drops tidbits of Harry’s family’s past without fully diving in, leaving much more room for the story to grow.
5. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix
Following the final minutes of its predecessor, Order of Phoenix transitions Harry’s journey from childhood into adulthood, with a much darker tone and political underbelly. This film is based on Rowling’s biggest book and unlike Chamber of Secrets does not include a good chunk of the source material. While it allows for some stories to flourish such as Harry’s growing distrust for those around them and the establishment of the most terrifying villain of all – Dolores Umbridge. Yet, there are also a lot of details in the book missing from the films that hinder movie watchers from fully understanding the nuance of certain character decisions, and ultimately the reveal of the final prophecy. Even with the occasional storytelling inconsistencies, there is no denying that the Order of Phoenix’s conclusion is equally action-packed and heartbreaking.
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The fourth film in the franchise is a story of a young person who by the tale’s end is thrust into adulthood. Goblet of Fire handles this story beautifully with heartwarming moments of hormonal adolescence with the Yule Ball as well as death-defying events that make everyone question the traditions of wizards. This is the first indication of many moving forward that the adult wizards, especially Albus Dumbledore, are messy and don’t always do what’s in the best interest of the students. The film does an admirable job of expanding the Wizarding World outside of London, even with occasional pacing snafus. Still, there is no denying the emotional impact the death of Cedric Diggory and the introduction of a resurrected Voldemort has, giving the correct impression that Harry and his friends’ childhood is officially over.
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Considering the weight of events in Order of Phoenix, it’s such a welcome change of pace to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione embrace their adolescence again in the Half-Blood Prince. The source material of David Yates’ second directorial entry, allows him to enter romantic comedy territory, with Hermione and Ron stans finally getting more than just bickering from these destined lovebirds. Half-Blood Prince allows Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to show what they are truly made of as actors and even Daniel Radcliffe gets to show off his comedic chops in one of the funniest scenes with the Felix Felicis. Tom Felton is finally given a storyline of substance for Draco that makes you instantly fall in love with this misunderstood Slytherin. The dark flashbacks of Tom Riddle aka Voldemort’s life as a child may hint at the dark twist to come, but it’s still as brutally shocking as ever to see Snape kill Dumbledore – the final blow before the epic battle.
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The weight of the entire Wizarding World was on David Yates’ shoulders to wrap up this mega-franchise in a satisfying way. After a somewhat slow-moving Part 1, Deathly Hallows – Part 2, is nothing but non-stop action from start to finish. There is very little time to catch your breath, and when you can, those moments are filled with some of the best acting in the films from Alan Rickman and Ralph Fiennes in particular. Following a sequence at Gringotts Bank that is so thrilling, it was literally made to be a theme park attraction, the film sees Harry, Ron, and Hermione reunited with their Hogwarts brethren and the Order of Phoenix. Yates builds toward the idea of soldiers at war, with some of the franchise’s fan favourites losing their lives in a quick fashion. It’s heartbreaking at first to see they didn’t get the same fanfare deaths as Dumbledore and Sirius, but it works for the story being told. The flash-forward to Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s future may be a little corny, but it’s also the ending Potterheads needed to feel content with their journey.
1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This third film was the first in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione fully come into their own as young people discovering who they are and what they are capable of. Director Alfonso Cuaron paints a picture of the Wizarding World and Hogwarts that goes beyond what we have come to expect, without removing what Chris Columbus had built, there is a sense of creativity that isn’t seen in any other film. Cuaron also wasn’t afraid to make the source material weird, with the Knight Bus sequence, in particular, being an absolute trip. The introduction of Sirius Black and Professor Lupin provides plenty of misdirects, but also adult characters for Harry to lean on and look up to, revisiting the theme set out at the beginning of the series of finding your own family. From the incredible intricacies of Buckbeak the Hippogriff to the flawlessly executed storytelling of the time-turner and Azkaban, it’s nearly impossible to find anything to nitpick about this gorgeous entry with unforgettable imagery into the franchise!
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