Harry Potter: Every Wizarding World Movie Ranked Worst To Best

It says a lot about The Prisoner Of Azkaban that is widely proclaimed the best Harry Potter movie of all: it is more grown-up, darker in a way that is far from manipulative and astutely directed by Alfonso Cuaron whose prowess in balancing story and technical flair is one of the film's chief virtues.

It also introduced two of the franchise's most beloved characters - Sirius Black and Remus Lupin - and it is remarkable to think that it barely even has a real villain (aside from the third act twist reveal of Peter Pettigrew). Story and atmosphere are key here, and the result is an assured, confident film that transformed the entire franchise and entirely deserves its critical acclaim.

The Good

The darkness - this is a far more mature movie than Chris Columbus' first two (probably because the franchise had earned itself the right to show off by this point), and the adoption of straight horror conventions was a very intelligent move. In Cuaron's hands, the emotional impact of the story - and in particular the truth in Harry's isolation as an orphan and Buckbeak's tragic story - absolutely shine.

Also, Gary Oldman's casting will forever be one of the finest moves in the entire series.

The Bad

The werewolf effects are a little... ropey, but beyond that (and some of Tom Felton's acting), it's mostly flawless.

How would you rank the Harry Potter films? Share your rankings below in the comments thread.