While the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer may show the critic's view of each movie, the Audience Score can be just as difficult to please. Viewers hoping to catch fan-favorite storylines from the novels may have had different expectations for the Harry Potter movies than if critics were judging the movies based on how the films presented themselves, rather than how the viewers would also consider the project as an adaptation. Even the slightest slip-up or alteration, if it is a bad one, can negatively portray how viewers took in the movies, with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire being known for making a massive change from the novel, even though the alteration is the way Dumbledore delivers a single line.
However, audiences can also be more merciful than critics, giving higher scores because the movie kept the spirit of the book that the critics are not paying attention to. There are some moments where the audience score is higher than the Tomatometer for certain Harry Potter films. While the movies were known to remove plenty of storylines or character attributes from the book counterparts, the movie still delivered an easy-to-follow plot line for audiences who had never read the books, which allowed them to easily become immersed in the wizarding world.
8 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) - 74%
In this case, one line of dialogue was enough to turn fans against this movie. The emphasis that readers had placed on "calmly" is one of the biggest takeaways from Michael Gambon's performance as Albus Dumbledore when he frantically rushed to ask Harry if he placed his name in the Goblet of Fire, the complete opposite reaction the novel counterpart had.
Otherwise, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire leaves out a few well-known storylines, such as S.P.E.W, the color of Hermione's dress for the Yule Ball, and a larger sense of craze surrounding the falsely created love triangle between Harry, Hermione, and Viktor. While Goblet of Fire represents the beginning of growing up and is a massive turning point in the franchise, the movie could not keep up with others.
7 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) - 78%
Daniel Radcliffe has famously spoken out against this installment, highlighting it as not being his best work. While this may not be the reason Half-Blood Prince ranks so low for fans, acknowledging a change in his portrayal as Harry may have been noticeable. Instead, Half-Blood Prince makes the wrong decision to focus on all the incorrect plot lines leading into the war.
Rather than taking the initiative to spend more time on Voldemort's growing army, Tom Riddle's backstory, Snape's identity as the Half-Blood Prince, or the growing tension Harry has toward Draco and Snape, Half-Blood Prince focuses more on the teen love stories between Harry and Ginny and Hermione and Ron.
6 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - 81%
Order of the Phoenix is one of the most emotionally complicated stories in the franchise, but it does not quite beat out the rest. Harry's anger, rage, and connection to Voldemort take center stage in the aftermath of Voldemort's resurrection, and due to the darkness that surrounds Harry, the tonal shift takes some getting used to. It is the first film directed by David Yates in the franchise, and the one that needs a certain level of severity that is not present in any other Harry Potter film, as the movie's arc brings everyone a step closer to Sirius Black's death and another piece of Harry's sense of isolation.
5 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) - 82%
Childlike wonder and excitement for magic is the key to the franchise's introduction. While there are certainly darker elements at play, without the wonder and magic that the first installment brings, it would be questionable if the series could have truly taken off as a film franchise. This movie needs to set up everything from Harry's issues with the Dursleys, the wizarding world, the beginning of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's friendship, and the danger that Voldemort brings to the world.
4 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - 82%
Following in the footsteps of the previous film, the darkness exists in the background, but Chamber of Secrets still feels mostly about a mystical and magical school. While Hogwarts certainly proves it is not a safe place to be with a giant Basilisk hidden in the pipes, Gilderoy Lockhart's roles as an obnoxious and arrogant fake offer a different look at a villain. This is also the first time Harry unknowingly directly confronts and destroys a Horcrux. The movie well handles the emotional ramifications of Hermione being petrified and the curiosity that follows who Tom Riddle really is.
3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) - 85%
As the first and only film not to primarily take place at Hogwarts, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 highlights the danger the main characters face as Voldemort's opposition. Isolating Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the woods with no one but each other for most of the film allows the trio's friendship, conflicts, and chemistry to lead the narrative. While they do end up meeting with others, such as their time in Malfoy Manor or Harry and Hermione's near-death moment in Godric's Hollow, this is the first film to take on a more adult approach to characters who usually could rely on at least one adult to be a constant presence in their lives.
2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - 86%
The emphasis on costume changes is only part of what allows the movies to highlight that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are growing up. While they are no longer little kids, they are still teenagers undergoing immense pressure. Given how the tone changes, Prisoner of Azkaban is the first film to really lean into the growing darkness that Harry Potter is slowly becoming.
It relies on the time travel scheme to give it a sense of variety to what came before, and the danger is enough to show that things are different from the two previous years. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has always been known as one of the best films in the franchise due to the movie's understanding of what it needs to do.
1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) - 89%
While Voldemort's death scene may have been a controversial topic, most of Deathly Hallows: Part 2 revolves around the war finally arriving and the final battle between Harry and Voldemort revealing a winner. Harry, Ron, and Hermione's search for the final Horcruxes brings them right back to Hogwarts, where all their friends help them fight against the Death Eaters' attacks. Each moment brings everyone closer to uncovering who will walk away from the battle, and with every moment, the stakes are raised, and emotions are heightened until Harry can finally breathe.