The air is chilly, the sweaters are out, and pumpkin-flavored everything is back on the shelves, fall is back in full swing! What better way to lean into the season than rewatching the Harry Potter series? Something about enchanted staircases, house scarves, and slightly reckless decisions made by eleven year olds pairs perfectly with a chilly November evening. As rewatch season sneaks up on us, I decided to rank all eight movies, because what’s better than a hot take to go with your trip to Hogwarts?
#8: Chamber of Secrets
Okay, it’s not bad I guess but every single other movie is definitely better, and this movie is seriously so unnecessarily long. It has a really good plot twist, but we really could’ve wrapped it up in an hour and a half. It’s literally THREE HOURS. Love Dobby which is the only reason it hurts me to rank it this low, but a lot of this movie feels like an actual waste of time. The whole Aragog plot? Let me know why that had to be included for SO long in this movie just to serve little to zero purpose to the actual plot.
#7: Deathly Hallows: Part One
This movie really just feels like a filler movie. Yes, I know it sets up the plot and everything for part 2, but it might be the most boring movie. The only reason this made it above Chamber of Secrets is because of the Christmas Eve scene in Godric’s Hollow, and overall aesthetic. To be honest, I don’t remember a lot of the things that happened in this movie. I really like the whole Horcrux plotline, but none of that is super prominent until part 2. The Tale of the Three Brothers storyline in this is somewhat interesting, but again could have been cut out or delivered better. The movie ends with Dobby dying which is also a huge reason this movie is so low, because are we serious? Leave Dobby alone.
#6: Order of the Phoenix
I actually like this movie a lot, but Sirius’ death is the sole reason this movie is so low. I really like the overall plotline of the movie, and I think the storyline of Harry being able to see into Voldemort’s mind was very interesting. I love the Dumbledore’s Army plotline in this movie, it’s so nostalgic and very happy. Everyone not believing Harry that Voldemort is back is another subplot throughout the movie that was very interesting and didn’t feel rushed or not thought out. This movie is overall very happy and light until the end of the movie. The plot twist towards the end of Voldemort tricking Harry into thinking he has Sirius was kind of a mix between expected and unexpected. Sirius dying is literally my nightmare and that scene puts me on the verge of tears every time without fail. The way he accidentally calls Harry James and then just dies? J.K. Rowling, you’re an evil woman.
#5: Half Blood Prince
This film is so so nostalgic and has such good aesthetics, it’s just so boring. This is another movie that is just sort of setting up the plot for other movies. The Burrow burning down is literally so heartbreaking, I love the Weasley’s so much and nothing bad should ever happen to that poor family. I really like Slughorn and the Half Blood Prince storyline, and this film is the beginning of Draco’s “villain” arc and that plotline is literally too good. I love that we learn more about Draco and Dumbledore in this film, even though Dumbledore lowkey bites the dust at the end but that didn’t make me sad to be honest at all so…
#4: Deathly Hallows: Part Two
So good, happy ending, but unfortunately everyone is dead, so this does not make top 3. Fred Weasley dying is the most unnecessary death I have ever encountered in the cinematic universe. It is actually so heartbreaking. Remus and Tonks dying side by side is also heartbreaking because literally that poor man could not catch a break ever. Molly Weasley is such a baddie and her killing Bellatrix Lestrange is probably one of my top 10 scenes in the entire franchise. Narcissa saving Harry gets me everytime, that boy was saved not once but TWICE from dying by a mother’s love. Too good. Neville is such a sweetie and I love him so much, the scene where he kills Nagini, aka the last Horcrux, is such a good scene and also top ten scenes of the franchise.
#3: Goblet of Fire
Goblet of Fire is actually SO good. The plot twist at the end is PEAK and nothing compares even a little. “I didn’t say anything about a graveyard professor…” TOO GOOD. I felt like there were a lot of different subplots to the actual main one of the Triwizard tournament, but each of them were very thought through. The Yule Ball is one of the most iconic scenes in the whole series. Voldemort coming back at the end is such a good way to end the movie, and him killing Cedric was so sad, but yet very monumental to the films because it shows just how heartless Voldemort actually was.
#2: Sorcerer’s Stone
This movie has so much nostalgia built into it, I could actually cry every time I watch it. All of the kids are literal babies, it makes me so sad knowing everything that comes next. The nostalgic vibes of this movie are honestly 80% of the reason this movie made #2. The Diagon Alley scene with Hagrid is another really iconic scene, and I love how this movie sets up Harry and Hagrid’s dynamic for the rest of the series. The Sorting Hat ceremony is another very remarkable scene in the franchise for me, and again so nostalgic.
#1: PRISONER OF AZKABAN
If this isn’t your top movie, you don’t know ball, and please stay away from me. This is actually peak cinema. This is literally the only movie where something horrifically traumatizing does not happen to any of the kids, and I love Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. This movie keeps me constantly locked in no matter how many times I’ve watched it. The Sirius & Peter plot twist is undoubtedly the second best (next to Goblet of Fire) in literally the entire franchise, and Harry finding out he actually has someone in his family that cares about him is so heartwarming. I love that we learn more about Lily and James during this movie, and find out the truth about Peter Pettigrew. This movie has literally an entire plotline of Harry and Hermione going back in time to save Sirius, and it’s still shorter than Chamber of Secrets.
