Thus far in the 21st century, few franchises have become the level of pop culture phenomenon that Harry Potter has achieved, right up there with the likes of Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With deep lore, fantastic books, and wildly popular movies, it is a beloved and phenomenal series that will remain as such for generations.
There is a loyal fanbase of Potterheads who love the movies, even if they have their more hardcore critics. While the same couple of movies will usually pop up at the top of the rankings of the very best of the films, there is an argument to be made for most of the films as to why somebody would have that as their very best.
Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone (2001): A Perfect Introduction to the Wizarding World
While The Philosopher's Stone is undoubtedly a more child-aimed movie, it is so easy to enjoy by all audiences, being such a fun ride and the cinematic introduction to the wonderful wizarding world created in the books. That is the key to the argument for this being the very best of Potter.
The movie introduces audiences to this world in such an excellent way. Not only is it easy to like this movie as a book reader, but it is a perfect initial venture into the franchise for those who have never picked up a copy. It set up the characters, the ideas, the rules of the world, and the tone brilliantly and was a big success.
Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets (2002): Mystery
That argument is easy to make for pretty much any introductory film for a franchise. There would not be the rest without the first is an argument used for a variety of movie acclaims such as A New Hope, Iron Man, and Raiders Of The Lost Ark. The sequel to The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber Of Secrets, is a much harder film to argue as the best.
People have many issues with the movie, namely the run time and MacGuffins; however, overall, it is an immensely enjoyable movie. In terms of arguing it as the best of the bunch, perhaps the key is the chamber itself. The mystery aspect is fun, the Basilisk is terrifying to a child, and the deep dive into Tom Marvolo Riddle's past is great; couple that with more world and character building, and there is your argument for the franchise's second installment. Unfortunately, though, a more realistic analysis is that Chamber is the weakest of the main eight Potter films, depending on your opinions on some films' page-to-screen adaptation.
Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004): Maturity
More often than not in Harry Potter film rankings, there are a couple of movies you can count on being at the very top of the list, the main two being the finale of it all, The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and the third installment of the series, The Prisoner Of Azkaban, and it is fairly easy to see why.
The importance of The Prisoner Of Azkaban to the Harry Potter franchise cannot be understated. It is easy to say this is the best Potter film due to the characters, to the mystery of Sirius Black, to the time travel aspects, or simply the variety of iconic moments; however, what really makes it the best is what it does for the franchise overall. Thanks to Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón, this movie is a bit darker, a bit more mature, and beautifully transitions the franchise from a lighter, more child-centric tone to that of a grittier, more young-adult-esque series. Without the work done in this film, there is no telling what would have become of the films to follow.
Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire (2005): Voldemort's Return
The Goblet Of Fire is one of the most action-packed Potter films, and while The Prisoner Of Azkaban was a colossal turning point for the franchise, the fourth installment brought about a huge turning point for the characters and Wizarding World itself. The movie is exciting, and while fans may have wanted more out of certain aspects, there is a lot to love.
If there is one aspect that can be attributed to the argument that this is the very best the eight films have to offer, it is the aforementioned turning point: Lord Voldemort's return. The entire graveyard scene is eerie and wonderfully sickening with the death of Cedric, the look of Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort, and the collection of Death Eaters. It is an incredible watch, and the images of Harry's parents, as well as the commotion and emotion that ensue upon Harry's return to Hogwarts, is the cherry on the cake.
Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix (2007): An Incredible Finale
Fitting the longest Potter book into the shortest Potter movie is quite the mountain to climb, but somehow the cast and crew, helmed by director David Yates, pulled it off and produced another great entry. Again, there are complaints various people have with the film, but it has so much to love.
As for its very best aspects, there are a few things to choose from, the sheer abhorrence of Dolores Umbridge, the Dumbledore's Army subplot, and Harry's journey of isolation. However, the very best of the film comes, once again, in its ending. The entire Ministry of Magic sequence is immense. Death Eaters facing off with Dumbledore's Army is great, but then the Order comes, and it is phenomenal. On top of that, there is, of course, there is the heartbreaking death of fan-favorite Sirius Black, which is followed by an insane battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore.
Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince (2009): Storytelling
The Half-Blood Prince is a controversial entry in the cinematic Potter universe. It deviates a lot from the book and leaves out whole chunks of brilliance that left book fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. In the scope of just the movie itself, though, it has some standout aspects both technically and narratively.
The cinematography and direction are top-notch, with more brilliant performances from the maturing cast in what was by far the darkest of the movies to this point. In terms of the narrative itself, while there are writing issues in terms of the Burrow scene, the romances, and the absence of crucial plot points like Tom Riddle's story, and, for casual viewers, why Snape is the Half-Blood Prince, the entire build-up to Dumbledore's death with Snape's 'betrayal,' Malfoy's struggles, and Harry's shock all work very well.
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010): Atmosphere
While it is hard to argue for movies like The Chamber Of Secrets and The Half-Blood Prince to be the best of the series, The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is just awkward. While it is a great film, especially when coupled with the second part, on its own, it feels like a constant build-up to the finale, which hurts it.
The true beauty in The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is in its atmosphere. All in all, not a lot happens incident and action-wise compared to any of the other Potter films, it is mainly camping and figuring out how to locate and destroy the Horcruxes. However, there is an atmosphere to the movie that is terrific. The movie definitely becomes a bit sluggish in the second half, but if there was to be an argument for this to be the best of the bunch, it would be down to the calm before the storm nature of it, being able to take a breath with the admittedly frustrated characters before all of the chaos of the next movie.
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): The Battle of Hogwarts
It is not hard to understand why The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is always alongside The Prisoner Of Azkaban in the conversation of what is the best Harry Potter film. The movie moves at a breakneck pace, and it is a lot to take in, especially coming after a relatively calm entry, but this does not take away from the quality.
There are definitely people who will prefer a more full, fleshed-out story that moves at a steadier pace, but this movie is such an epic phenomenon jam-packed with emotion, action, jaw-dropping visuals, and iconic moments, all of which add up to make it perhaps the best of the lot. The central part of the movie that makes it easy to argue as the best is the entire Battle of Hogwarts, from McGonnagle shining to Molly destroying Bellatrix to Harry's death to Ron and Hermione's kiss to the heartbreaking "Always." there is so much to love in every minute of the film, especially in that portion.