So you say you’re ready to deep dive into the Wizarding World? Whether you’re a mega fan who knows every little trivial fact and spell, or someone who doesn’t know their Chocolate Frog from their Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean, there’s one question that pops up: What’s the best way to watch the entire Harry Potter series in the right order? The answer is simple: stick to the release order through and through. Why? Because watching the series in the order of its release allows you to appreciate the wizarding world the way audiences experienced it when it first hit the screens. You’ll also be able to follow the emotional growth of the story and its characters, expand along with the arc, and appreciate the movies to its full effect without any spoilers.
Now, since the Fantastic Beasts films are technically prequels taking place decades before Harry was born, you might be tempted to watch them first. While that does make sense theoretically, it can kill the suspense and lessen your investment in Dumbledore’s backstory, especially since we don’t know him or care about him much as a character yet—until we watch the Harry Potter films of course. However, if you still want to watch the series chronologically, then this is how it’d look:
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
The new Harry Potter HBO series is supposed to reboot the entire franchise for a new generation. But don't wait for it, as there’s nothing quite like the original films, which were a cultural reset.
Keeping all of this in mind, the right way to watch the Harry Potter movies is in release order, starting with Sorcerer's Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone, if you're fancy and British) to Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Wands at the ready, let’s jump in:
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is where it all begins, and is the purest entry in the series. It’s the first movie, filled with bright-eyed characters who are blissfully unaware of the ride they’re about to go on over the next few years. It’s warm and full of wonder. It sort of mirrors Harry’s life—colourful and hopeful, now that he has found a home where he belongs (because lets be honest, the Dursleys were awful). Even the stakes in Sorcerer’s Stone are much lower compared to future films, with troll battles, Voldemort stuck at the back of some dude’s head, and Christmas feasts.
The best thing about the first film is that it’s truly accessible and is meant for everyone. Kids will love the fantasy and magic the film brings, and so will anyone who’s a kid at heart. It’s the movie that made an entire generation check their mail for a Hogwarts acceptance letter (and were sorely disappointed) and is for anyone who wants to live vicariously through a bunch of kids in a magical school. If you liked Chronicles of Narnia or Matilda, Sorcerer’s Stone offers the same whimsical feeling.
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)
The stakes are slightly upped in the second movie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I mean, there's a huge snake slithering around Hogwarts, and a diary to talk with a person who has allegedly passed away, all in a boarding school where the kids eat snot-flavoured jelly beans (also, yuck). Even then, the charm isn't lost. It still comes off as a kids’ movie, but you can sense the darkness starting to seep in through the cracks. It’s the longest film in the franchise at almost three hours, and sometimes, you can feel it because of the pacing. Still, it connects ‘early innocence’ and humour from Sorcerer’s Stone to the heavier themes that are coming up. While the sequel leans into mystery, it still brings a playful tone to the plot. It’s where the audience is introduced to Voldemort lore as well, and who he was when he was a student at Hogwarts. Oh, and Gilderoy Lockhart? He was the highlight of the movie and dare I say it, is the best comedic character in the entire franchise. It goes without saying, but none of the movies from this point onwards are standalones, they each build on the story that was left off in the previous movie.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
If Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets were the babies, then Prisoner of Azkaban is the toddler. The bright colours of the first two movies are stripped away and are replaced with shadows and emotional weight, a perfect representation that introduces audiences to the bleakness of Azkaban. The film introduces us to another important aspect of Harry’s life, his godfather Sirius Black, who, did I mention, is a convicted criminal. Though there’s no direct confrontation with Voldemort in this film, there does seem to be something lurking in the background, a sort of ominous feeling about what’s about to come. Prisoner of Azkaban is, according to me, beautifully directed, and brings the broody and moody vibe to forefront, but does it in a cinematic way—where you don’t feel like retreating under a blanket. We get some wonderfully constructed scenes, especially in the Patronus scene, that still gives me the chills every time I watch it. Along with Sirius, we’re also introduced to the Marauders (who honestly deserve their own franchise). If you liked A Series of Unfortunate Events, Prisoner of Azkaban brings a similar, layered vibe.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Did you miss Voldemort? If you said yes, then you’re in luck, he’s back in Goblet of Fire! The fourth movie in the series brings us the (very Olympics-esque) Triwizard Tournament to Hogwarts (along with a new villain; or an old villain puppeteering a new villain, I guess). If you’re a fan of teen drama, romance subplots, and almost-deathly games, then Goblet of Fire will appeal to you. Before he was a broody vampire in Twilight, Robert Pattinson was the cheery Cedric Diggory, Harry’s romantic rival (though it’s pretty one-sided, I feel). Tonally, Goblet of Fire is the point in the franchise where the lightheartedness dies (literally and figuratively, poor Cedric); it’s the first film in the series which doesn’t end in a win, and is the last film where you could call Hogwarts “fun,” because after this point, everything gets darker. If you blend Hunger Games with a show like Riverdale, we’d get Goblet of Fire.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Have you ever had a teacher in school who you didn’t like? Well, this Hogwarts professor will make them look like angels. Who knew someone dressed in pink would turn out to be downright evil? Order of the Phoenix has intense and politically sharp themes where the kids decide to take matters into their own hands after the adults in their life let them down, leading to the ‘resistance’ arc. The anger and emotions from the characters really shine throughout the movie, not made easier by the heartbreaking death of one of the fandom’s favourite characters (which I think would have started Harry’s villain arc, if he had one). Though the franchise has been consistently getting darker with every passing movie, Order of the Phoenix seems like the real turning point where the wonder of the earlier films has now completely disappeared, and is replaced by fear and frustration. If you liked movies about teen rebellion like The Hunger Games or political corruption like V for Vendetta, then Order of the Phoenix is a must watch.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Before we begin, spoiler alert! The “Half-Blood Prince” referred to in this movie isn’t Harry. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince gives us more insight into Voldemort’s origins and into Snape’s past. The tone of the movie is gloomy for sure, but it feels more like the calm before the storm (or war). You wouldn’t expect a film at this juncture to have any funny moments, but according to me, Half-Blood Prince has some of the most hilarious scenes in the franchise, especially between Harry and Professor Slughorn (and the liquid luck scene is pure gold!) There’s also some relationship drama and unrequited love, if you like that sort of thing. If you love morally grey characters, then Half-Blood Prince will be the film to watch. I might say something controversial here, but I thought Draco Malfoy’s story arc in this film was better than Harry’s (oops). Hear me out: it uses Malfoy’s internal conflict as a way to build up the tragedy and bleakness that’s coming up. Half-Blood Prince really is the most emotionally conflicted of all the films; there's laughter and love, but also a sense of mounting dread, and the death of another highly debated character.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is a bold departure from the familiar Hogwarts setting; there are no more safety nets, just our Golden Trio on the run, trusting and relying on only each other. The stakes are extremely high, with danger lurking around every corner and crevice. What happens when three teenagers are in a confined space (metaphorically) for an extended period of time? They’re bound to turn on one another. Part 1 gives us raw and realistic disagreements between our leads in a way where you’re left both sympathetic and frustrated at the same time. There are some heartwarming moments sprinkled in between though, which shows the very human struggle of trying to find light in a very dreary situation, and holding onto hope while watching the entire wizarding world falling apart.
Hermoine carries this movie; without her, Harry and Ron would have been captured (or worse, killed) in like 30 minutes. It mirrors the energy of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and The Revenant with its quiet tension and bleak atmosphere. The movie is slower than previous films as the ultimate battle is still loading, but it's worth watching for anyone who has grown up with these characters and is invested in them.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
It’s the final showdown. For anyone who’s made it this far, Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the explosive finale with the payoff audiences have been waiting for over a decade. While Part 1 pushed the storytelling to the edge, it spills over in Part 2, culminating in an epic battle and duel, along with a closure that both the audience and the characters themselves have been holding their breath for. Harry might be the lead, but it's Snape’s flashbacks and redemption arc that truly make the film. Part 2 is Avengers: Endgame but with wands and magic; also, Thanos and Voldemort both disintegrate into ashes, so there’s that similarity as well.
Not that you would, but don’t skip the stunning finale. It’s a bittersweet feeling to watch the little kids we were introduced to in the beginning of the franchise grow into the mature world-saving adults they are now. It proves that the franchise wasn’t only about good versus evil, it was about sacrifice, love, friendship, and found family.
You may shed a tear or two, especially if you’ve been an avid fan of the Harry Potter series, but apart from the slightly goofy epilogue (there’s no way the characters are supposed to be in their 30s!), Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the perfect ending. Tonally, the Hogwarts that felt like a battlefield at the start of the film feels like home once again at the end, housing renewed optimism for a brighter future within its hallowed halls.
