Chris Columbus had a huge task when he took on the role of director in the adaptation of the hugely popular first book in the hugely popular Harry Potter series. It was one thing for readers to imagine the magical elements described in the novels, but quite another to bring them to life through the use of practical and special effects.
Columbus and his team did incredible work bringing that magic to life and establishing a world that became instantly iconic in its visuals, setting the bar for what was to come. That baseline allowed other directors to expand on the visual representations of magic while leaving their own unique mark on the series.
Today, we’re ranking each Harry Potter movie by the use of magic, both from a narrative standpoint, and the ways in which the creative teams managed to convey all the spells and magical creatures to life.
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
We kick things off with the introduction of the Unbreakable Vow, something we’ve never seen before. This occurs during a fantastic scene between incredible actors Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Helen McCroy.
Another high point is the duel between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Draco (Tom Felton), during which Harry uses a curse he found in the textbook of the “Half-Blood Prince.” The curse opens deep cuts all over Draco’s body, and Snape arrives just in time to reverse the damage.
The Half-Blood Prince also officially introduces the idea of Horcruxes. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) takes Harry to find one, leading to a scene straight out of a horror film as the two are attacked by Inferi. Meanwhile, the Death Eaters have entered Hogwarts using the Vanishing Cabinet, another magical device introduced in the film.
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the one and only Harry Potter film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and it’s one of the best ones overall. Cuarón brought a darker tone and style to the film, which signified Harry’s transition from childhood to adolescence. After making his mean aunt blow up like a puffer-fish, Harry catches a ride on the Knight Bus, which makes for an exciting and funny scene that shows the bus magically getting slimmer in order to weave through traffic.
The Prisoner of Azkaban had to establish the Dementors, and they were even more frightening than we could have imagined. With the Dementors came a spell to repel them, aka the Patronus Charm. Other new powers came from Divination class, where Emma Thompson’s performance as an eccentric professor hid true power to prophesize the future. Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class introduced Hippogriffs in a joyous scene that allowed Harry to have some fun amidst all the drama.
Professor Lupin (David Thewlis) is hiding a secret, which is rather obvious: he’s a werewolf, complete with full moon transformations and all. Werewolves are different from animagi, wizards who elect to undergo a process that allows them to transform into an animal, something Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) was shown to do earlier in the series. This information becomes more important as we find out Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) is an Animagus with the power to turn into a dog.
Earlier in the film, we also get to see the Marauder's Map. But the coolest part of the film is when Harry finds out how Hermione (Emma Watson) was managing to make it to so many classes. She had a Time-Turner, which comes in handy when she and Harry have to use it to save Buckbeak and Sirius (and themselves).
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
This is the one almost entirely focused on Horcruxes. We also see a much more heartbreaking use of Obliviate, as Hermione has to make her parents forget she exists so that she can help Harry on his mission to defeat Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 also features the best use of Polyjuice Potion, as members of the Order disguised themselves as Harry before a great chase.
There’s also a simple use of magic later on in the film that might be the most touching of all in its simplicity: while standing over Harry’s parents’ graves, Hermione conjures a wreath of flowers. This happens before Harry fights a horrifically bewitched Bathilda, who is actually a creepy corpse housing Nagini.
As the name suggests, The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 tells the story of the Deathly Hallows, the creation of the Elder Wand, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the Resurrection Stone. While none are used in this film (save for the ending that has Voldemort locate and steal the Elder Wand), it’s important information conveyed through beautiful imagery that successfully establishes new lore late in the game.
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets kicks off with the introduction of house elves. Dobby uses magic to dump a cake on someone’s head, before disappearing. Harry gets blamed for this by his Uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths), who locks him in his room and forbids him from returning to Hogwarts. The Weasley boys come to rescue in an enchanted car, a sign of some goofier, more light-hearted magic that the first two films were known for. Harry also gets to use the Floo Network for the first time. When Platform 9 ¾ bars Harry and Ron (Rupert Grint) from entering, they fly the enchanted car to school, crashing in the Whomping Willow.
The Chamber of Secrets is a proper, magic-filled mystery, as students all over Hogwarts are turning up petrified. It’s said that the heir of Slytherin will open the Chamber of Secrets, unleashing the monster within (which turns out to be a giant snake known as a basilisk). While investigating, Harry, Ron, and Hermione use polyjuice potion for the first time. In the process, they meet Moaning Myrtle (Shirley Henderson), a ghost who haunts the bathroom.
In one of the coolest scenes in the film, Harry discovers that he speaks Parseltongue. This leads many to think he’s the heir to Slytherin, but it turns out it's Tom Riddle (Christian Coulson) haunting a diary with magic from part of Voldemort’s soul. Riddle has the basilisk hunt Harry, who defeats the giant serpent after pulling the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat (magic!). He nearly dies, but is saved by Dumbledore’s phoenix Fawkes, whose tears have healing powers.
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Though we’ve seen Dementors and Patronus Charms before, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix re-introduces them in a way that feels exciting. After, Harry is taken to 12 Grimmauld Place, the magically hidden headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) arrives on behalf of the Ministry of Magic. She and Harry take an instant dislike to each other, and she punishes him by making him write “I must not tell lies” over and over using a magic quill that transfers the saying to his hand.
Snape trains Harry in Occlumency in order to fight off Voldemort’s potential influence on his mind. Meanwhile, Harry takes his peers’ training into his own hands, using the Room of Requirement to practice magic, which is shown in a very fun, magic-filled training montage.
The Order of the Phoenix has its share of magical beasties, with Hagrid’s giant half-brother, centaurs, and Thestrals, which you can only see if you’ve witnessed death. Harry and his friends ride these creatures to the Hall of Prophecies within the Ministry of Magic building, where they find gorgeous visuals and a lot of Death Eaters. A great fight ensues when members of the Order arrive, which not only looks great, but packs an emotional punch.
Bellatrix murders Sirius right in front of Harry, but before he can exact revenge, Voldemort arrives. Dumbledore isn’t far behind, and battles the Dark Lord in an epic duel over Harry that ends with Harry resisting Voldemort’s attempt to possess his body.
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Early on in the film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the portkey is introduced. Harry and the Weasleys use one to go to the Quidditch world cup, which takes the wizard sport to another level visually. The victory party following the game is interrupted by the first glimpse at Death Eaters, who announce their presence by putting the Dark Mark in the sky.
Most of the film focuses on the Triwizard Tournament, where young wizards are selected from the Goblet of Fire. The tournament consists of all sorts of magical escapades, as Harry uses his Firebolt to outrun a vicious dragon, is given clues from a Golden Egg that only works underwater, eats a plant that gives him gills, so he can save Ron from Merpeople, and navigates an enchanted maze.
A portkey takes Harry and Cedric (Robert Pattinson) to a graveyard, where Voldemort is resurrected using a very specific ritual. Voldemort and Harry duel properly for the first time. As they duel, the spirits of those Voldemort has killed seem to appear from the connection. The Goblet of Fire expands on the darker themes of the previous installment by introducing the Unforgivable Curses, which come into play much more in later installments.
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Elder Wand is better explained in The Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The two-way mirror pays off as well, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione learn that it’s Dumbledore’s brother who’s been looking after them throughout their journey. Before that, the trio wreak some havoc at Gringotts. All enchantments they used to try to sneak in are washed away in the Thief’s Downfall, and they run into more complications when they find that Bellatrix’s vault is protected by a curse that makes everything they touch multiply. They eventually escape by riding a giant dragon.
Harry and his friends return to Hogwarts, where Harry quickly makes his presence known. When it looks like Snape will attack, McGonagall engages him in a brief duel, which fans have noticed features Snape deflecting her curses onto Death Eaters. Voldemort debuts a new power too, showing the ability to speak directly into the minds of everyone at Hogwarts.
Every teacher gets their time to shine in the finale, as they awaken enchanted stone knights, construct a magic shield, and engage in several duels against Death Eaters. As the fighting goes on, the trio locates another Horcrux, but Draco and his friends light the Room of Requirement on fire in a surprisingly fun sequence that demonstrates the complicated nature of Harry’s relationship with Draco.
The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 also shows Harry using the resurrection stone. There’s also some really great duels here, with Big Bads meeting ends that feel worthy of their villainy throughout the series. Bellatrix’s death at the hands of Molly Weasley (Julie Walters) and Voldemort’s death after an epic duel with Harry come to mind.
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
We have to give first place on our list to the film that started it all, and really did the majority of the heavy lifting by establishing what the world of Harry Potter could look like. There’s Hagrid’s flying motorcycle, McGonagall’s entrance via cat transformation, Hagrid cursing Dudley with a pigtail, Harry getting his wand, Platform 9 ¾, the Sorting Hat, Quidditch… the list goes on.
Let’s not forget the pathway to the Philosopher's Stone, something magic enough in itself: the gang must fight a three-headed dog, Devil’s Snare, fling keys, wizard chess, and a man with an evil wizard attached to the back of his head. This is the finale, which comes after the kids battle a troll, discover a unicorn and a centaur in the Forbidden Forest, and get into some mischief using an Invisibility Cloak. But the most magical of all? Dumbledore (Richard Harris) informs Harry that his mother’s love protected him from the most powerful dark magic.