Harry Potter is one of the most successful and beloved franchises in cinema history. Although the films were first released twenty years ago, the hype surrounding Harry Potter has yet to die down. With its own world at Universal Studios, as well as flagship stores worldwide and restaurants in cities throughout the U.S., it’s clear that people can’t get enough of Harry Potter. The films are still finding new audiences with today’s younger generation and HBO Max is even releasing a twentieth anniversary reunion special with the cast.
The movies are an adaptation of the Harry Potter novels from British author J.K. Rowling. The books and movies follow Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) a young boy, whose parents died when he was a baby, who finds out he’s a wizard. When Harry attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he uncovers the truth about his past as he and his friends go on adventures to ultimately defeat one of the most powerful dark wizards of all time, Lord Voldemort. Here is every Harry Potter Movie, Ranked.
8 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was released in 2002 and is the second installment in the franchise. When Harry and his two best friends Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts for their second year of learning wizardry messages written in blood on walls and strange things at Hogwarts interfere with their education. When Harry discovers who the evil force infiltrating Hogwarts is, he attempts to put an end to him and save the day before the damage he has done becomes irreversible.
7 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
While this movie is great overall, the reason why it is ranked lower on the list is that audiences don’t feel as strong of a connection with the characters as they do in some of the more recent films. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first Harry Potter film ever. It introduces us to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) as well as all the school and all of its professors who become parental figures to Harry. This movie was even nominated for three Oscars including Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.
6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Coming in at number six on the list is the fourth movie in the franchise Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The best part about this movie is that it introduces us to so many new characters who ended up becoming fan favorites like Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson). Harry and three other students compete in the Goblet of Fire tournament, an extremely rigorous obstacle that will determine who will win the Triwizard Cup, and at the end of the competition, Harry is faced with his greatest enemy of all time and almost doesn’t make it out alive.
5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is ranked so high on the list because it was revolutionary for film in a lot of ways, the main one being that it was one of the first franchises to split a final film into two separate parts. With Part 1 of Deathly Hallows having a running time of nearly two and a half hours and Part 2 being two hours and ten minutes long, director David Yates was able to fit everything he wanted to into the story by creating two films for the last book. This movie also generated a significant amount of Oscar buzz, including talk about a Best Picture nomination.
4 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
While there is so much to unpack in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the most memorable part about the film is Hogwarts’ new addition, Dolores Umbridge. She may look sweet and comforting with her constant smile, always dressed in pink but inside she is awful to her core. Umbridge is one of the most hated characters in the franchise and because of how cruel her actions are even Stephen King has said that she is frightening. Harry Potters’ main obstacle in this film is getting members of the wizarding world to understand that Lord Voldemort is back and take his encounter with the dark wizard seriously.
3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
With some of the most action-packed and heartwarming moments in the entire franchise Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is ranked number three on the list. The heart of the film lies in Harry’s persistence to avenge his parents and after all this time put a stop to Lord Voldemort once and for all. The battle at Hogwarts is one of the most difficult fights Harry has found himself in and it ends up causing the death of a lot of his friends. At the end of the movie we see Harry, Ron, and Hemione all grown up, still great friends, and at peace with their lives after Hogwarts, which is all the fans can really hope for.
2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
This movie changed Hogwarts forever and brought so many characters to their breaking point. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) finds himself called upon by Voldemort’s followers to kill Albus Dumbledore. In an attempt to spare Draco from committing the murder Dumbledore asks Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) to kill him instead. The headmaster’s death reveals secrets to Harry about his upbringing and early years at Hogwarts that shocks him and changes his relationship with his professors forever.
1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Coming in at number one on the list is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This film is nothing short of epic action scenes, one of the most interesting plots in the franchise, and bold new characters. The best part about this film is the introduction to new characters such as Professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) and Sirius Black (Gary Oldman). While the whole movie we are made to believe that Sirius Black is a dangerous murderer that has escaped from Azkaban it is later revealed that he was one of Harry’s parents, James and Lily Potter’s best friends. He is such an important part of this franchise because he is the closest thing Harry has to a father figure.
