Beginning in 2016 with the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Warner Bros. attempted to recapture the nostalgia and wonder that introduced us to a world of magic, wizards, witches, and a fantastic story based, of course, on the books by J.K. Rowling. The source material was there, which may be why every one of the films in the Harry Potter franchise obtained stratospheric box office success and critical acclaim despite having multiple directors throughout the epic eight-film journey.
On the flip side, Fantastic Beasts did not have the luxury of an abundance of source material. The “Fantastic Beasts” book is a guide to all the magical beasts in the Harry Potter universe (It is essentially the book Newt is writing in the first film). That is one of the reasons these films seemed to flounder and ultimately suffer from some things that were out of the studio’s control, such as the controversy surrounding the actors involved in the movie.
Still, primarily because of the lackluster story-telling, static characters with no clear purpose or development, and ultimately a failure to give justice to these events’ historical importance in the larger Harry Potter franchise, the Fantastic Beasts trilogy pales in comparison to the cinematic excellence of the eight-film Harry Potter series. The battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is considered the most extraordinary wizarding duel in history. However, what we get in the third film (if it is indeed the franchise’s final film) is not exactly “extraordinary.” Whether or not there will be another sequel in the Fantastic Beasts franchise is still up in the air, but the third film certainly had a tone of finality. With that in mind, here is every movie in the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, ranked from worst to best.
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3 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Heyday Films
The second installment in the trilogy, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, is the weakest of the three. Johhny Depp stars as the titular character and villain of the franchise: Gellert Grindelwald. The film also introduces a young Dumbledore, played brilliantly by Jude Law. Law only has a few scenes in this film, but he manages to steal the show, with his performance being one of the highlights of this otherwise disjointed misfire of a sequel.
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The Crimes of Grindelwald centers around Creedence and his mysterious identity. There is a reason Grindelwald is so desperate to find him, and we find out why in the final moments of the film, when Grindelwald tells him that his real name is Aurelius Dumbledore. He also fills his head with lies about how his relative Albus Dumbledore abandoned and left him to suffer. Overall, the film is an enjoyable sequel, adds context to the lore, and leaves audiences on a massive cliffhanger.
2 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Warner Bros. Pictures
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was a step up from its predecessor. However, it still suffers from pacing issues, one-dimensional characters, and one of the lead characters of the franchise’s conspicuous absence from the film. Tina Goldstein, played by Katherine Waterston, the woman lead throughout the first two films and Newt Scamander’s love interest, is not in the movie save for one brief moment at the very end of the film. This is not the filmmakers’ fault, but rather a personal decision made by Waterston due to the controversy surrounding transphobic comments made by the author of the Harry Potter book series J.K. Rowling. Nonetheless, it was a bit jarring not to have Tina be a part of the group that Dumbledore has tasked with taking down Grindelwald after seeing her on the frontlines of the wizarding war with Newt in the previous two installments.
If Secrets of Dumbledore is the final installment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, the duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, which in Harry Potter lore is considered the most incredible wizard duel of all time, left a lot to be desired. As of now, future Fantastic Beasts installments have yet to be announced. If that remains the case, then this film could technically close the saga, but it wouldn’t fit canonically with the end of Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s feud, which ended in 1945. This film is set roughly a decade before that, in the 1930s.
1 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The film that reintroduced us to the wizarding world (albeit in an entirely new location), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is by far the best of the three films in the franchise. Eddie Redmayne is phenomenal as the awkward but incredibly brave and kind-hearted Newt Scamander. Newt is a magi-zoologist who is writing a book about magical creatures. He also carries a suitcase with the magical creatures he has saved and trained over the years. Colin Farrell plays the main antagonist, the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, who has disguised himself as a member of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, or MACUSA for short, which is essentially the U.S. version of the Ministry of Magic.
Fantastic Beasts also introduces us to Tina Goldstein, a former Auror who has been demoted due to her obsession with a group of Salem-style witch hunters. Goldstein ultimately ends up arresting Newt for accidentally allowing his magical suitcase to fall into the hands of a Muggle. The film is well-paced, well-acted, has plenty of action and heart, and builds up to a climax that, while satisfying, certainly leaves the audience wanting more. Ultimately, Fantastic Beasts recaptures much of the essence of wonder and delight the Harry Potter films brought audiences, which is why fans and critics alike heaped praise on the film. For this and other reasons, we chose the trilogy’s first film for the number one spot on our list.
