So far, there have been ten movies in the Harry Potter franchise, including the eight Harry Potter entries and the two Fantastic Beasts movies. There is going to be three more Fantastic Beasts movies, too, if all goes according to plan. While every fan of the world of Harry Potter has their favorites, overall ratings and consensus can give an insightful view into which of these movies are considered the best.
We’ve put together a list of all of the movies in the Harry Potter universe and ranked them according to their overall score on Rotten Tomatoes.
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD: 37%
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald has the worst rating of any of the movies in this franchise by far. In fact, it’s rating is nearly 40% lower than the next movie on the list.
This is probably because many fans and critics felt that the movie tried to do too much. The plot was all over the place and the movie wasn’t really based on any source material. It felt like a lot of filler that was just included to stretch out the franchise.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM: 74%
Both of the Fantastic Beasts movies are the lowest rated in the franchise according to Rotten Tomatoes. This is probably because of the fact that these movies weren’t based on any books.
While this movie definitely is fun and has a lot of adorable and interesting moments, it just is not compelling in the same way as the Harry Potter movies. However, this film’s rating is only a few points lower than the next on the list.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 1: 77%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of any of the Harry Potter films. Clearly, this isn’t a bad score and shows that all of these movies did well with both audiences and critics.
While only slightly behind Order of the Phoenix, it might not be as high on the list because it was a slower paced movie that also included a bit of filler. Since Deathly Hallows was split into two parts, a lot of the action didn’t occur until the second half.
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX: 78%
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a book with a lot of iconic moments in the series. Many of these moments are also translated well to the screen. However, since the book itself is a little bloated with extra info, a lot of scenes had to be slimmed down and changed to make a coherent movie.
Order of the Phoenix is a good Harry Potter movie but not really one of the best, which is probably why it lands in the middle of the pack.
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE: 81%
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the movie that started them all. This film was the perfect introduction to the world of Harry Potter. Directed by Chris Columbus, fans were able to find themselves immersed in Harry’s world on screen for the first time.
This movie did a good job of capturing the feeling of the early books which were a little more whimsical. Overall, this is a solid film. While Sorcerer's Stone isn’t the best Harry Potter book or movie, it will always hold a special place in the hearts of fans because it started this magical journey.
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS: 82%
Chamber of Secrets beat out Sorcerer's Stone by only one single point. These movies have quite a lot of similarities. They are both directed by Chris Columbus and the overall tone and feel of them are similar.
However, Chamber of Secrets gets even more into the lore of the Harry Potter world and introduces some scary creatures and villains. Overall, it’s a solid addition in the film franchise with many thrills and chills.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE: 84%
As the penultimate chapter of Harry’s story, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sets up a lot of important information. While this book might not be as adventurous as the last book, it does have a lot of fascinating character moments.
Half-Blood Prince is where Harry gets to learn all about Voldemort and is mentored by Dumbledore. The information from the book was brought to screen effectively here which is probably why it’s rating is so high.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE: 88%
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the exact middle book. This gives it an interesting position as this chapter begins to build up the storylines that will mean a lot in the future of the franchise.
While the Triwizard Tournament might seem somewhat pointless, it leads up to the moment when Voldemort returns. The movie did a great job of showing the different tasks in the Tournament and bringing the magical world to life. The movie captured the essence of the book.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN: 90%
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is generally viewed as one of the best, if not the best, Harry Potter book. So, it’s no wonder that the movie is also beloved. This film was directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
Cuarón was able to bring a very witch-like vibe to the story that fits very well with the themes of the book. This film captures the magic and curiosities of the Harry Potter world in such a lovely atmospheric way that many fans and critics responded well to.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2: 96%
The second part of Deathly Hallows is the only Harry Potter movie that has a Rotten Tomatoes score over 90%. This movie was able to wrap up all of the previous films before it and provide a satisfying ending that stayed true to the books.
While, of course, not everything from the book could make it to the screen, having two parts allowed for most of the big moments to be included.