Imagine sitting near the window, sipping a cup of hot chocolate as you watch the snow fall onto the pavement outside. Amidst your deep thoughts, you remember a core childhood memory when you received your first ever book, Harry Potter.
Somehow, it ignites a desire to watch the book’s movie adaptation. You watch it chronologically and realize the timelessness of both the movie and the books. As a fan, you ask yourself, among all these, which is the best?
The movies are all great, but there is always one that stands out among the rest. Among the eight, who is the cream of the crop?
Here we have ranked the eight Harry Potter movies from good to best.
#8 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second installment of the Harry Potter franchise. The film was released three days after the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone. It’s directed by Chris Columbus and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
The movie gained positive feedback from Harry Potter fans back in 2002. As a matter of fact, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets grossed $879 million worldwide. It became the second-highest-grossing film of 2002, with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers being the first.
The movie follows the second year of Harry Potter at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry Potter fans and movie critics praise this film for having a much darker plot than the previous movie.
Synopsis:
Harry Potter had to spend another summer at the Dursley’s, and with each day that came by, he wished that it would be the start of the new school year so that he could return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second-year education.
However, one night a house-elf named Dobby appears before Harry to warn him that he should not go back to Hogwarts. When he refuses, Dobby sabotages the Dursley’s dinner, which causes his Uncle Vernon to lock him up and punish him even more by not allowing him to return to school.
Dobby’s plan to stop Harry from going to Hogwarts fails after Ron, Fred, and George Weasley rescue Harry aboard their father’s flying Ford Anglia. He stays at the Weasleys until the end of summer break. When school season was near, Mrs. Weasley took them to Diagon Alley, where they would meet their other friend, muggle-borne Hermione Granger.
A series of unfortunate events would soon follow, Harry’s return to Hogwarts starting from the blockage of platform nine and three-quarters which prevented him and Ron from riding the Hogwarts Express. The pair drives Mr. Weasley’s flying car to Hogwarts, which earned them detention because they crashed into the Whomping Willow when they landed.
Harry finally understands Dobby’s warnings about going back to Hogwarts when a couple of muggle-borne students and Mr. Filch’s cat, Mrs. Norris, get petrified and accompanied by the signs:
The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione searched for more information about the Chamber of Secrets. However, Hermione gets petrified as well. All alone, Potter decodes the information he gathers from different sources, including a magical diary owned by a certain Tom Marvolo Riddle.
He finds the Chamber of Secrets and the person who opened it, Ginny Weasley. At the chamber, Harry sees Tom Riddle himself and the Basilisk. Tom reveals that he was Lord Voldemort’s past self. In the end, Harry Potter defeats the Basilisk with the help of Godric Gryffindor’s sword and Fawkes, Professor Albus Dumbledore’s phoenix.
#7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 1 (2010)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows-Part 1, released in 2010 was directed by David Yates and produced by Warner Bros. Pictures. The weekend following the worldwide release of the film grossed $330 Million, making it the 3rd highest-grossing film in the Harry Potter Series. It also received a nomination for the 83rd Academy Award for Best in Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.
Synopsis:
Before the death of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, he instructs Harry that he shall find and destroy the Dark Lord’s secret to immortality, the Horcruxes. But it is not easy because Lord Voldemort is still after him, and his mother’s protection over him no longer has effects.
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is placed under the protection of the Order of Phoenix. However, following the Ministry of Magic’s fall into Lord Voldemort’s hands, he, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) journey to find the Horcruxes, Lord Voldemort’s secret to immortality.
The Wizarding World is in chaos after retrieving the Sword of Godric Gryffindor at Godric’s Hollow and destroying the Locket of Salazar Slytherin, the first Horcrux by it. Harry, Ron, and Hermione get captured by the Death Eaters.
Dobby the house-elf sacrifices his life to free the prisoners, Harry Potter, Ron Weasely, Luna Lovegood, Ollivander, and Griphook.
#6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood is the sixth installment of the Harry Potter franchise and the sixth on our list. The movie is directed by David Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the 8th Highest-grossing film of all time, garnering a whopping $934 Million in total.
Synopsis:
Voldemort’s grip on the Wizarding world intensifies as the number of Death Eaters increases. The Dark Lord plots a plan to kill Albus Dumbledore through Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). But his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, knows that his son is not capable of killing, so she creates an unbreakable bond with Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), that he shall continue the task if Draco hesitates.
At Hogwarts, Harry finds a used Potions book previously owned by the Half-Blood Prince. He uses the book to ace his Potions subject and impresses Professor Slughorn. As a result, Slughorn gives him a Liquid Lock Potion which Harry uses to convince him to show them a fragment of his memory with Voldemort.
After looking at the Pensieve, Dumbledore and Harry find out that Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort) sought the expertise of Slughorn regarding Horcruxes. The two also discover that Voldemort has divided his souls into six. Two were already destroyed, Tom Riddle’s Diary and Marvolo Gaunt’s ring.
Professor Dumbledore takes Harry into a cave where they take another Horcrux, Salazar Slytherin’s Locket. Upon returning to Hogwarts, they discover that it has been infiltrated by Death Eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback.
Draco Malfoy enacts Lord Voldemort’s plan and disarms Dumbledore, but he hesitates, so Snape finishes the deed for him. Harry watched the death of Dumbledore. Snape turns to him and reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince. Students and staff mourn Dumbledore’s death, and Harry soon discovers that the locket is fake. A man with the initial R.A.B stole the real one.
#5 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
In other countries, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is also known as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It is the first movie of the Harry Potter franchise and is directed by Chris Columbus. The film is the second-highest-grossing film of all time, with about $1 Billion in gross income.
Synopsis:
Harry Potter, the boy who lived has come of age. He receives an acceptance letter from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but his muggle aunt and uncle refuse to allow him to go. Rubeus Hagrid takes Harry away from his aunt and uncle and into Diagon Alley, where they shop for everything he needs for school.
Harry discovers that his parents were both wizards, but Lord Voldemort killed them. At platform nine and three-quarters, he meets the Weasleys. He quickly befriended the youngest boy, Ron Weasley. They both get sorted into Gryffindor and befriends muggle-borne Hermione Granger.
Harry gains popularity at school and discovers that he has a talent for Quidditch and earns the honor of being Gryffindor’s youngest seeker.
After a troll enters Hogwarts, the trio discovers the existence of the Sorcerer’s stone. An enchantment by Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris) places the Stone in Harry’s possession, thus, making him the target of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Quirinus Quirrell, who tries to kill him. Harry survives the ordeal. They discover that a weakened Voldemort hides beneath the turban of the professor.
#4 Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix (2007)
Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix is directed by David Yates. It is the fifth installment of the Harry Potter franchise and is recognized as the second highest-grossing film of 2007.
Synopsis:
The Ministry of Magic is still oblivious about the return of Lord Voldemort, but Harry Potter knows that he is out there because he can feel a connection between them,
The Order of Phoenix, a secret organization created by Albus Dumbledore, takes Harry in for safety after Dementors attacked him prompting him to perform underage magic. Harry’s Godfather, Sirius Black’s house serves as the Order’s Headquarters.
Upon returning to school, the Ministry’s denial of the Dark Lord’s return became more evident when the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, sends Dolores Umbridge to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts but purposefully refuses to teach defense spells.
Harry creates Dumbledore’s Army, an organization that teaches fellow students defense spells. However, Dolores Umbridge finds out about the army and accuses Dumbledore of organizing it. Because of the accusation, Dumbledore faced arrest as ordered by Fudge, but he was able to evade arrest. But Umbridge became headmistress.
Voldemort’s forces continue to increase as his previous followers, Bellatrix Lestrange, a death eater and Sirius’ cousin, escapes Azkaban. Due to Lord Voldemort’s increased strength, his connection to Harry Potter continues to grow.
A vision of Lord Voldemort torturing Sirius Black lure Harry, Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, and Ginny Weasley to fly to the Ministry aboard Thestrals trapping them in the hands of Death Eaters.
The Order rescues them, and Harry almost gets killed by Voldemort, but Dumbledore saves him. On the other hand, Sirius Black wasn’t so lucky because he got killed by Bellatrix.
#3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth installment of the Harry Potter franchise. The film obtained $896 Million worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of 2005. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and won the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design.
Synopsis:
Hogwarts was set to host the Triwizard Cup. In an unusual turn of events, the Goblet of Fire chooses two Hogwarts Champions, Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) from Hufflepuff and Harry Potter from Gryffindor. The Goblet of Fire also chose Viktor Krum from Durmstrang Institute and Fleur Delacour from Beaubaxtons Academy as champions.
The choice of the Goblet of Fire of choosing Harry Potter received terrible reactions from the crowd, but he has still honored the choice.
The first task for the Triwizard tournament involved an egg they had to get from dragons. Mad-Eye Moody and Cedric give Harry some pointers about the task that he used to complete the first task.
For the second task, they each have to save somebody underwater. Neville Longbottom gives Harry some gillyweed which he used to breathe underwater. Harry could complete the task by saving both Ron and Fleur’s sister after she withdrew from the event.
For the third task, each champion had to go to a maze and try to find the Triwizard Cup. Harry and Cedric were able to find the cup, but after touching it, they realized it was a portkey. They get teleported to Voldemort, who casts a Killing Curse that Harry deflects but kills Cedric.
Harry can teleport back to Hogwarts with Cedric’s body. Afterward, they find out that Barty Crouch Jr., a death eater posed as Mad-Eye Moody, put Harry’s name at the Goblet of Fire and turned the Triwizard Cup into a portkey leading to Voldemort.
Dumbledore announces that Voldemort murdered Cedric, but the Ministry of Magic refutes the claims.
#2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released in 2004. The film was directed by Alfonso Cuaron and is the third installment of the Harry Potter franchise. Unlike, the two previous films, the man who played the role of Albus Dumbledore was Michael Gambon. The original Professor Dumbledore actor, Richard Harris, died in 2002.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Original Music Score and Best Visual Effects, at the 77th Academy Awards in 2004.
Synopsis:
Harry Potter feared expulsion from Hogwarts after he made her inflate and float away. However, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge assures him that he will not face punishment despite performing underage magic in the muggle world.
He reunites with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who inform him that Sirius Black, a convicted supporter of Lord Voldemort, has escaped Azkaban. Black’s escape has caused the Ministry of Magic to increase protection at Hogwarts by sending Dementors to patrol the school.
While traveling to Hogwarts aboard the Hogwarts Express, a dementor attacks Harry, which causes him to faint. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, repels the Dementor by casting a Patronus charm.
A significant change has occurred at Hogwarts: Hagrid was appointed as Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and Dementors now patrol the Hogwarts grounds. During Hagrid’s first class, Buckbeak the Hippogriff was provoked by Draco Malfoy, which caused him to attack. Lucius Malfoy sentenced Buckbeak to death for attacking his son.
Eventually, Harry Potter got curious about the identity of Sirius Black and why he was greatly feared. He discovers that he was his Godfather, an old friend of his father, James Potter. Harry also learns that Black has betrayed his parents by divulging their hiding place, leading to the death of his parents and their other friend, Peter Pettigrew.
After Divination Class, Harry witnesses Professor Trelawney have a prophecy about the return of Lord Voldemort. During Buckbeak’s execution, Ron’s pet rat Scabbers bites him and escapes. A large black dog bites Scabbers and drags him to the base of the Whomping Willow.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione follow the dog, who reveals himself as Sirius Black, an animangus. Black tells Harry the truth and reveals to them that Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew. He faked his death after betraying James and Lily Potter and pinning his crimes on Black.
Eventually, Sirius Black was caught by the Ministry and sentenced to the Dementor’s Kiss. Troubled, Harry and his friends sought the help of Dumbledore.
Albus Dumbledore advised them to use Hermione’s Time-Turner. They used the Time-Turner to turn back time. The trio reversed everything that happened in the past. Buckbeak and Sirius were not executed. Sirius hides from the Ministry together with Buckbeak.
#1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (2011)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 2 is the eighth and last installment of the Harry Potter Franchise. The film was one of the most successful films of 2011. As a matter of fact, it has grossed $1.3 Billion worldwide. It is also recognized as the 3rd highest-grossing film of all time. The movie was nominated for the 84th Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects.
Synopsis:
After dying in Part 1, Harry Potter buries Dobby beside Bill and Fleur Weasley’s cabin. Harry, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Griphook break into Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault at Gringotts to get Helga Hufflepuff’s cup, which was a Horcrux. Griphook betrays the trio by abandoning them inside Gringotts and taking the Sword of Gryffindor with him. However, the trio successfully escapes the ordeal and apparates into Hogsmead, where Aberforth Dumbledore and Neville Longbottom helped them into Hogwarts.
At Hogwarts, Severus Snape is alerted of Harry’s return and warns all staff and students that whoever helps Potter will be punished. A fed up, Professor Minerva McGonagall battles Snape, which causes the latter to flee. Ron and Hermione enter the Chamber of Secrets to destroy the Horcrux Cup using the Basilisk’s fang. On the other hand, Harry is instructed by Luna Lovegood to talk to the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw regarding Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem. Helena reveals that Voldemort had performed ‘dark magic’ on her mother’s diadem, which is hidden in the Room of Requirement. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Gregory Goyle attack Harry inside the Room of Requirement. Goyle casts a Fiendfyre curse causing the room to erupt in fire, trapping all of them inside. The trio escapes the room aboard broomsticks and saves Zabini and Malfoy. Outside, Harry destroys the diadem using the Basilisk’s fang. Afterwards, he has visions telling him that Nagini is the last Horcrux.
Voldemort kills Snape because the Elder Wand cannot serve two masters at a time. Therefore, the wand’s allegiance is not to Voldemort because he did not disarm Dumbledore. A dying Snape gives Harry a fragment of his memory which the latter takes into the Pensieve. He finally understands Snape after he finds out that he is not evil. He had spent his life protecting him from Voldemort because he reminded him of the woman he loved the most, Lily Potter.
The Battle of Hogwarts finally ensues, but the good triumphed over the evil in the end. But the battle also caused so many lives, including the lives of Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Fred Weasley.
The ending of the movie commences 19 years later. Harry and Ginny married and had three kids, Albus Severus Potter, James Sirius Potter, and Lily Luna Potter.