Harry Potter wrapped up the whole world in its academic magic, but one movie stands out above the rest, and it may not be the one you think. With Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, the Harry Potter main characters were destined to captivate multiple generations. From the millennials who grew up with their story to the parents who read it to them before bed, Harry Potter fans have long debated the movies, and there seems to be huge contention in the fandom as to the best and the worst.
English author J.K. Rowling wrote and released the Harry Potter books from 1997 onwards, resulting in the 2000s Warner Bros. movies and decades’ worth of fans comparing the two formats. While some fans prefer the more faithful movies, others prefer the more adult movies. Indeed, the series grew up along with its cast and audience, going from children’s books to a YA series. And others prefer the deep nostalgia of the first two Harry Potter movies, with their baby-faced first and second-year Hogwarts students, but surprisingly, the highest-rated movie is the last.
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2 Is The Highest-Rated Harry Potter Movie
The Last Harry Potter Movie Is The Most Popular
By the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, it was clear that the movie would divide fans, yet it has the highest rating of them all on IMDb. Some fans struggled to reconcile the epilogue, which was remade after harsh feedback, with their ideas of the story. Also, the movie deviated from the book quite heavily in some regards. However, on IMDb, the last Harry Potter movie has an audience score of 8.1, beating its predecessor, which has 7.7. As is often the case, the loudest voices are often the dissatisfied ones.
As such, while many book readers lamented the many departures of the movie from the book series’ canon, it appears to be quietly the case that the vast majority of viewers actually loved the movie. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is also very highly rated, coming in at 7.9, but the other films range from 7.4 to 7.7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two has 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that audiences were probably right to love it. From Voldemort’s involvement with the Deathly Hallows to his well-deserved death, the last Harry Potter movie was memorable.
Is Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2 Really The Best Film In The Franchise?
It’s Hard To Definitively Pick The Best
Although IMDb ratings suggest that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was the best movie, the film that is generally accepted as the fan-favorite is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Among the Potterverse movies, it is one of the deeper explorations of the Marauders, the wildly popular student group composed of Harry’s father, James, Sirius, Remus Lupin, and Wormtail. It is also one of the most moving, and it demonstrated a real transition away from children’s storytelling into something more complex. Plus, by this time, the Golden Trio had really gotten into the swing of things.
However, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has a lower audience score on IMDb than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and a lower Rotten Tomatoes score too. With just 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is clear that fan discussion on online forums doesn’t necessarily translate to the perspectives of the everyday viewer and critics. The Malfoy family almost found an odd sort of redemption, and the mind-blowing Snape reveal was top-notch spy thriller material in the last Harry Potter movie. It really is a seminal piece of cinema and the best of the bunch.
