From the eight movies made, where do they rank on this “Potterheads” scale?
I first watched the Harry Potter series in 2021. We were planning to visit Universal Studios Hollywood and if I was going to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I needed to know what was going on. I fell asleep watching the first one but after being shamed for it, I made it a mission to finish the series in a month.
I’ve never read the books so all I know is from the films, which is why you may see this list and think I am insane for putting a fan favorite at the bottom as opposed to the other films but trust me, there are reasons! I list these movies from best to worst according to my movie taste. (Potential spoilers below.)
1. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (2001)
The series started in 2001 with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” I am a firm believer that the first movie is always the best because it sets a foundation for the rest to build upon. If there is no foundation, you can’t build anything great. What I love most about this movie is how much we learn about the characters as soon as their face is on the screen. You get to know their personalities so quickly that the rest of the movies feel personal like the characters are your friends. Without this connection to the characters, we wouldn’t be as invested in the seven other movies that follow.
2. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002)
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” is the second movie and was made in 2002. This is almost my top favorite but I decided to place it at No. 2 because as I said previously, the first movie is always number one.
What makes this movie one of my favorites is the fact that it’s the first true adventure Harry, Hermione and Ron go on together that adds to the full picture of “Harry Potter” and gets to know the villain of the story better with a backstory. My favorite scenes take place in the girls’ bathroom with Moaning Myrtle, even though Moaning Myrtle knows exactly what is going on, she still holds information to tease the heroic trio. As someone who doesn’t like horror, this is a great alternative.
3. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” (2010)
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” was made in 2010. Although it is the seventh of eight films, in my books it is the third-best Harry Potter movie. I love this movie because it finally puts all the pieces together, but what hurts is that my favorite character doesn’t live to see the next one. It was a sacrificial death making it so much harder to watch.
4. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” (2011)
If part one was great, why wouldn’t part two follow? This movie ends the series and is an all-around great movie! The questions I had in part one and throughout the series were answered in part two, closing it out perfectly! All of the movies come together and end in a way that we expected but better and in unity. It’s almost a full circle moment in the end when their children are boarding the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9 ¾ just as they did in the very beginning of the series.
5. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005)
The “Hunger Games” meets Harry Potter meets “Twilight”—that’s how I explain the “Goblet of Fire.” One person from three different groups of people battles to win challenges in a tournament. Similar to the plot of “Hunger Games” ,but the “Twilight” aspect only relates to one person: Robert Pattinson who is in both movies. It’s a great movie but is only important towards the end which is why I rank it so low.
6. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (2007)
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” was made in 2007 and is the 5th movie in the series. Contrary to popular belief, I believe this movie is incredible. The annoying Dolores Umbridge is what makes this movie funny and entertaining. Her annoying laugh and cruel rule changes makes her feel real making our dislike of her feel even more real!
7. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (2009)
The fact that I don’t remember this movie fully means it wasn’t great. This is the sixth movie and was made in 2009. I had to rewatch this to see that this is when Harry Potter learns more about Voldemort and prepares for the final battle against his nemesis with the help of Headmaster Dumbledore.
8. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004)
This is where I’m in trouble. “The Prisoner of Azkaban” is the third movie made in 2004. Everyone I have talked to who has seen the entire series, says this is their absolute favorite and the best one. But for me, this one is so boring! It’s a bunch of history and backstories which is important, but in a fantasy series, that’s not what I want to see. There is barely any action and you have to wait until the very end to see it all go down, making it confusing to follow through the movie. When I rewatch the movies, I always skip this one.
Regardless of my ranking, this is a series everyone should watch. It’s the perfect series for anyone and everyone because there is something for every movie taste. These movies can be watched or binged on Max and Peacock.