All 8 Harry Potter Movies, Ranked by Letterboxd Score
Even after 14 years from its cultural peak, the Harry Potter franchise is extremely popular and in the pop-culture conversation—especially with the new television series currently being produced. Despite the original author of the books, J.K. Rowling, being controversial because of her very discriminatory views and actions, people still appreciate the movies with respect for the hundreds of people who worked on them outside of the author.
Throughout the theatrical run of the franchise, it received critical acclaim and became legendary. With how much people adore the movies and how talked-about they remain, it’s intriguing to look at what the general populace thinks of the films. There’s no better place to do so than the hit social media platform, Letterboxd, where users can review the movies they watch, rank them, and see what their friends are rating and enjoying. So what do Letterboxd users think of Harry Potter, and how do they rank the movies?
8
‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ (2002)
Letterboxd Average: 3.6/5.0 (4.9k Fans)
Following the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, was always going to be incredibly difficult for director Chris Columbus. With how widely beloved that debut movie was, there were a lot of expectations placed on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, meaning it was always going to be judged a bit harder than its predecessor. Thankfully, it turned out to be a pretty good film.
“There’s some stuff to like, especially that Aragog animatronic and subsequent spider chase, which is scary as hell,” is how SilentDawn described his thoughts on the film. Sequels are hard to crack, but for the most part, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets does exactly what it needs to do, and does so well. Just because it isn’t the best of them all doesn’t mean it’s not still good — the mystery is compelling, the climactic battle against the Basilisk is chilling, and the introduction of Dobby the House Elf (Toby Jones) is a high point in the early series.
7
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ (2010)
Letterboxd Average: 3.7/5.0 (2.8k Fans)
Book-to-movie franchises with two-part finales almost always struggle with what is commonly called “Part One Syndrome,” in which the first part has a problem of not being as action-packed, interesting, or engaging as the second. One of the classic examples is, unfortunately, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Still, its status as the first half of the long-awaited ending to the Harry Potter franchise makes it pretty dang enjoyable.
While it wasn’t as fast-paced as many initially expected from a finale, there’s still so much to love here, most notably its willingness to step out of the series’ formula to deliver what is basically a road movie packed with emotion. User Brian stated in his review that, “Genuinely cannot believe I f—ing teared up over Dobby”. This movie also takes the time to really develop character arcs before they won’t have as much time to in the second part. All in all, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is one of the better in book-to-movie franchises as a whole.
6
‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007)
Letterboxd Average: 3.7/5.0 (6.5k Fans)
As the Harry Potter films evolved, so did their tone. Beginning their adventures as more lighthearted journeys, the series slowly became much darker and more dramatic. One of the more serious films in the franchise comes in the form of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. When completely taken over by the devilish woman known as Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry turns into a dark shell of what it once was. Stated best by Ryncle in his review of the film, “… it’s a great warning about authoritarianism that feels very relevant today.”
This film also contains one of the sadder deaths in the series, when Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) is murdered at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Sirius was all that Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) had left of his family, so this death hits really hard. It also has one of the few truly magical duels in the series, as Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and Dumbledore (Sir Michael Gambon) cross wands at the Department of Mysteries.
5
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (2009)
Letterboxd Average: 3.7/5.0 (9.8k Fans)
Letterboxd user Toby puts it best when he says, “It’s dark and gloomy, but doesn’t overdo it,” about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This entry in the Harry Potter franchise takes a huge step forward in tone as it preps audiences for the final arc in the last two movies. Whether it’s the crushing death of Albus Dumbledore or Lord Voldemort beginning to put his final plans into motion, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince brings the tone down by a large margin.
This film is mostly set up for the two to follow, so it struggles a bit to feel like it has a set direction, at times. However, this entry is where the series (despite being the third-to-last movie) starts to really open Draco Malfoy’s (Tom Felton) character, showing audiences that this little demon—who’s been the cartoony villain up until now—might actually have some human in him and be reconsidering his place in Lord Voldemort’s big plan.
4
‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ (2001)
Letterboxd Average: 3.8/5.0 (15k Fans)
The movie that started it all, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone — known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S. — is, obviously, an unforgettable classic. While some people may argue that, due to being earlier in the franchise, it may be too kid-focused, Letterboxd user Emil notes that it doesn’t matter, saying, “This is an extremely solid kid’s fantasy movie that’s incredibly well made,” because at the end of the day, the result is wonderfully produced. There’s a reason that it got so many sequels, and even garnered $974,755,371 worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2001.
This film helped put Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint on the map as actors. Working with child actors has always been notoriously difficult in movies, but the entire cast of this first flick proves that it is possible to have an excellent cast of kids if cast correctly. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is not a perfect film, but it does everything a good origin movie needs to, and acts as an accurate and well-done adaptation of the book.
3
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ (2005)
Letterboxd Average: 3.9/5.0 (17k Fans)
Everyone has always said that as the Harry Potter franchise evolved, the tone got much darker, especially as Lord Voldemort began to rise and put his plans into place. If there’s a movie that could be considered the big turning point, it’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, specifically when Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) dies and Lord Voldemort finally rises once more. Lucy on Letterboxd puts it pretty accurately when they say, “… does its best to bring the first dark cloud of the series, finally ominously wafting in during the final act.”
This is also the first film to incorporate the greater Wizarding World outside of Hogwarts, bringing in students from other countries around Europe to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. This movie also begins to take steps further in building character dynamics, specifically between the main three, which have to do with more romantic themes, further developing the potential romance between Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
2
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ (2011)
Letterboxd Average: 4.0/5.0 (8.3k Fans)
With how much the Harry Potter series had been building to for their finale, the last movie in the franchise was either going to be amazing or an absolute flop. Thanks to the writers and director, David Yates, though, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ended up being incredible and a huge financial success, with$1,341,511,219 in 2011 to become the year’s highest-grossing movie.
It’s hard to craft a good finale, but Harry Potter fans are quite lucky that Yates and co. were able to successfully adapt the book, especially with how long it is. It was wise to split it into two, allowing Part 2 to basically be one long, cathartic battle between good and evil. In their review, ciara jokes, “i remember seeing this at the cinema when i was 11 and everyone cheering when neville killed Nagini, and i’m not saying it was the greatest moment of my life but uhhhh it sure is up there,” a great example of the fact that this movie very much is the Avengers: Endgame for the Harry Potter franchise.
1
‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ (2004)
Letterboxd Average: 4.1/5.0 (63k Fans)
In trilogies and a lot of franchises in general typically struggle to make a good third film, but the complete opposite is true for the Harry Potter series, with its best movie easily being Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a sentiment proven by the 4.1/5.0 score on Letterboxd. A good explanation for why it’s best is found in Reece’s review on their profile: “The third film in an eight-film franchise, popping off the hardest due to an Oscar-winning director randomly deciding to take the job and then shooting the hell out of it will always bring a smile to my face”.
Nabbing Alfonso Cuarón to direct did Warner Bros. a plethora of good when it came to the success of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The pacing is wonderful, expanding the world in a natural and engaging manner and further developing all of the characters in the cast in ways that allow them to grow up while keeping the charm that made them so special in the first place. It’s also the introduction to fan favorite Sirius Black, which will always make it a highlight in many people’s eyes.
