Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
The Fantastic Beasts movies are not all created equal, so they’re being ranked from worst to best. Directed by David Yates, the first three films in a planned five-film franchise have all got the magic, the friendships, and one villain to hold them all together, but they are also wildly different when it comes to their individual qualities.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a spinoff prequel film based on the book by author J.K. Rowling. The book itself — which followed magizoologist Newt Scamander on his adventures with magical creatures, including a Hippogriff — began as an in-universe textbook Harry Potter bought for his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The film follows Newt beginning in 1926, with the five films (though Fantastic Beasts 4 and Fantastic Beasts 5 have not gone into production yet) expected to span two decades, ending in 1945 with Grindelwald’s downfall.
The Fantastic Beasts films have thus far introduced a myriad of intriguing characters, including American witches and wizards, new wizarding terminology (No-Maj), and magical creatures like the revered qilin. While each individual movie has a distinct storyline and adventure, there are certain elements that distinguish them in terms of quality — be it character developments, story execution, and atmosphere. What makes a Fantastic Beasts movie good? With three films in the franchise now, here is a breakdown of their rankings, and why the number one spot is superior to the other Fantastic Beasts movies overall.
3. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Whereas the first film in the franchise felt like it had some sort of direction, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was all over the place in terms of storytelling and characters. The Crimes of Grindelwald was a deviation from everything that made the first film work — Newt and Scamander and his magical creatures, getting into some trouble, and plenty of lightheartedness overall. The second installment, however, was quick to establish its connections to the larger Harry Potter universe. It was as though the film couldn’t stand to separate itself from the story that brought fans into the Wizarding World to begin with, so it backtracked to ensure there was enough familiarity by bringing in a younger Albus Dumbledore and the fight against Gellert Grindelwald.
Mostly, The Crimes of Grindelwald felt a lot like a retread of Lord Voldemort’s rise to power, especially when Grindelwald meets with his followers in Paris. With the messiness of the story, heavily altering Queenie Goldstein’s character so that she would join Grindelwald, and turning Newt, Tina, and Jacob into supporting players in Dumbledore’s mission rather than allowing them to steer the plot on their own leaves The Crimes of Grindelwald as nothing more than a half-baked attempt to reignite the magic of the original film franchise. What’s more, the film stretched thin a story that didn’t need to be told, especially since audiences already know how Grindelwald’s hold on the Wizarding World turns out. The Crimes of Grindelwald could have been just as interesting if it followed Newt on his adventures finding and exploring magical creatures.
2. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
To be sure, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a big step up from The Crimes of Grindelwald. It is a more coherent story, with plenty of interesting character moments, tension, and a plot that, while doesn’t add too much to the overall trajectory of the franchise, is at least serviceable. Crucially, The Secrets of Dumbledore works because Mads Mikkelsen’s performance as Grindelwald (taking over from Johnny Depp, who played the character in the second film) is excellent, steely and quietly terrifying. There is an air of charm and deviousness about him that explains why he is a master manipulator and how Dumbledore was (and still seemingly is) in love with him. Dumbledore’s plan to thwart Grindelwald is intentionally confusing, but it adds some levity to the proceedings, especially as the Wizarding World’s future becomes more grim.
The Secrets of Dumbledore layers the story with tension-filled and interesting Wizarding World politics, like the elections for the International Confederation of Wizards, and smooths out the revelation of Credence Barebone being a member of the Dumbledore family. Even though the third film includes a few plot holes and doesn’t particularly move the story forward in any meaningful way, The Secrets of Dumbledore sits firmly in the middle, a balance of fun entertainment value and the push-pull dynamic between Dumbledore and Grindelwald that finally feels magnetic in a way it never did before. What prevents it from taking the number one spot is ultimately because it, similar to The Crimes of Grindelwald, was weighed down by certain connections to Harry Potter instead of crafting a separate story (though it does expand the Wizarding World in general).
1. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
A big part of why Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them remains the best of the franchise so far is because it felt distinct from the Harry Potter films while maintaining its magical connection. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was fun, following Newt Scamander on his trip from England to New York with his magical creatures in tow. The film is charming and lighthearted, expanding the Wizarding World beyond what fans already knew of it. This was the film that introduced a plethora of new terminology, wizarding ailments, and fantastical animals. Audiences saw how American wizards and witches operated. What’s more, it took place in the 1920s and wasn’t limited to school grounds, which meant the potential for exciting adventure was high. It truly delivered on that front.
Newt meeting and working with Tina, along with her sister Queenie and the Muggle Jacob Kowalski, felt fresh and unlimited in scope. Their dynamic was lovely and proved their characters could carry a film that added a lot more layers than the small book it’s based on. Most importantly, the film wasn’t beholden to the world of Harry Potter, which allowed the film to be its own thing instead of working to tie everything back to the main source material. It has a whole lot of heart, which drives the story and keeps it grounded at the same time, and enough suspense to keep audiences intrigued. The magical creature element — and Newt’s cute interactions with them — added a unique touch to the film as well, which matched the protagonist’s sweet, somewhat awkward, energy. Ultimately, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them dared to walk a different path than its predecessors. The film is lighthearted, charismatic, and has a sense of thrilling adventure that the sequels have not been able to recapture.