Harry Potter Movie Marathon
As we trudge through spring semester after our month-long break, I thought I’d reflect on one of my favorite parts of winter break. Every year my sister and I, sometimes joined by our parents, partake in a Harry Potter movie marathon. It started one year when we stumbled upon a channel doing a Christmas Harry Potter marathon and we have continued on the marathon ever since. We watch all of the movies in order accompanied by nonstop commentary since we have both seen the movies upwards of ten times. In the spirit of this occasion, I thought I would share my rankings of the movies from worst to best. These are my personal preferences based entirely on vibes. Don’t continue reading if you don’t want to be spoiled.
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Deathly Hallows Part 1 is last on my list for no particular reason. It is just the first half of the last book and so it is sort of unsatisfying since it doesn’t have a satisfying end.
7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The fifth movie is my sister’s favorite, but it’s one of my least favorites. She likes it because she thinks it’s funny how Harry is miserable the entire time, but that’s pretty much why I don’t like it. This is the movie where Professor Umbridge joins the school and perpetuates her reign of terror on the students, but specifically Harry. The whole movie is just Harry being tortured by her and then being sad. Also, the film comes to a tragic end when Harry’s godfather Sirius Black is murdered.
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The last movie in the Harry Potter series is sixth in my ranking because while it is entertaining since it is rife with action and drama, I don’t love how far it deviates from the book. I prefer the book-version of the final battle to the movie because the movie version feels slightly less climactic than in the book.
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
I love the earlier Harry Potter movies since they feel nostalgic to me with the actors being so young. The Chamber of Secrets isn’t too high up on my ranking though because the acting isn’t great since it is early on in the series and the plot just doesn’t do anything special for me.
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Goblet of Fire is an entertaining movie for me because of the competition aspect and because Robert Pattinson makes a cameo as Harry’s classmate Cedrick Diggory. While the feuding between Harry and Ron always irritates me, the movie is still pretty good overall.
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
You can’t go wrong with a classic. The first Harry Potter movie is always a good one to watch since it is the foundation of the series and contains many heavily quoted lines and scenes. I love to watch the film and recite the lines at the same time. My sister and I always get a kick out of that.
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This movie I think is the best overall film from start to finish. It is when the actors start to get into the groove of the series and the complicated marauders/Sirius Black plot is thoroughly captivating. You can’t forget the time-travel subplot that becomes an essential part of the film.
1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Last but not least, my favorite Harry Potter film: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This is my favorite film of the series because the directors sort of took it into their own hands. Instead of trying to copy the books exactly and failing since they are too long to fit into a 2.5 hour movie, this film felt like it took its own creative liberties and included its own humor. This film was the most comedic to me with the funny Lavender Brown scenes and the hilarious scene when Harry takes the liquid luck serum and has an odd set of interactions with Professor Slughorn and Hagrid.
This film series holds a special place in my heart since I have seen it so many times over the years and started reading the books when I was a kid. I don’t think I will be ending my yearly tradition of a full-series rewatch any time soon. That might seem exhausting but I don’t think I could ever get bored of these movies or my sister and I’s never ending analysis of them. I hope I have inspired you to begin a rewatch!