The Best Harry Potter Movies: All 9 Ranked

#9: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The fourth film in the beloved franchise strayed away from its comfortable formula and drastically expanded the scale of its world. With a more competitive and standalone story, Goblet of Fire occasionally lost its focus, and while it’s not terrible by any means, its certainly the least coherent entry in the series.

#8: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Chamber of Secrets built upon the wonder and mystery that shrouded the original, delving a little deeper into the world of magic. With that, it was often too busy building the world around it, losing track of the story at hand and the characters inhabiting it.

#7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

When a final installment gets split up into two parts, it usually doesn’t bode well. This first half of the Deathly Hallows feels like filler material that foreshadows and builds towards the immense battle lurking over the horizon, exploring some previously untouched aspects in the process.

#6: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

The Philosopher’s Stone introduces us to the wizarding world of Hogwarts as we accompany Harry and friends on a magical adventure that’s much more menacing than it seems. It’s the one that kicked it all off, and for that, we can’t help but love it.

#5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

For the first time in the series, we truly see the students taking matters in their own hands. Plenty of characters grow and develop throughout this installment, and while it could’ve done with some more action, it’s the unique approach that makes it stand out from the others.

#4: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The Half Blood Prince is one of the darkest entries in the series, and that’s a good thing, too. It tells exactly what needs telling without tip-toeing around for too long, providing some of the franchise’s most emotional and dynamic, character-filled scenes.

#3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Prisoner of Azkaban takes the Harry Potter concept and plunges it into maturity, dealing with noticeably darker tones compared to its predecessors. Excellent performances and bountiful plot twists make this one of the better films in the franchise.

#2: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

While technically not a main Harry Potter movie, the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them prequel offers a fresh return to JK Rowling’s wizarding world. It tells a brand new story that is bound to appeal to fans and newcomers alike, and Newt Scamander is just as charismatic as Harry ever was.

#1: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The second part of the Deathly Hallows had us saying goodbye to Harry Potter and friends, whom we had grown to love over the years. We’ve seen these people grow and evolve, both literally and figuratively, and when the impending finale finally arrived, we couldn’t help but notice a bit of sadness mixed into the satisfying closure.