There are a few debates that never really die online, and ranking the Harry Potter movies is definitely one of them. Everyone has a favorite, everyone has a least favorite, and somehow no two lists ever look exactly the same. It’s part of the fun, especially now that enough time has passed for people to revisit the series with fresh eyes. What I didn’t expect was franchise star Daniel Radcliffe jumping into that conversation himself and just going for it, but hey, he’s 100% right about the best across all the movies in the Wizarding World franchise.
During a recent live taping of the Happy Sad Confused podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz, Radcliffe took some time from his busy 2026 movie schedule to rank the beloved series of movies on the spot. The moment was shared via the show’s Instagram account (see below), and it is as hilarious as it is correct.
Radcliffe’s top choice? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that. It’s the payoff movie. The one where everything that had been building across eight films finally comes together. The Battle of Hogwarts, the emotional resolutions, the sense that this entire story is actually reaching its end. It delivers on a scale that the earlier movies were setting up for years.
It also happens to be the point where Radcliffe seems most at ease in the role. He’s talked before about how his relationship with his own performances has shifted over time, with the earlier films feeling “sweet” in hindsight, even if he used to cringe at them. That perspective alone probably shapes how he looks at the series now.
Of course, the real debate starts once you look beyond his top pick. Radcliffe also ranked Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire near the top, which will make a lot of fans happy, even if I would’ve personally bumped The Prisoner of Azkaban higher. Where he and I do line up again is at the bottom of the list, with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He’s said that choice comes down to how he feels about his own performance, but for me, it’s more about the film itself. It’s just never been one I fully connected with. That said, it does lay the groundwork for one of late Alan Rickman’s most powerful Snape moments: the “always” reveal, which ultimately pays off in Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
That’s what makes the Swiss Army Man star's whole response feel so refreshing. It’s not a curated answer or trying to line up with popular opinion. It’s just how he feels about the movies he spent a decade making.
If you needed proof that there’s no single “correct” ranking, Tom Felton recently threw a wrench into things. Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, has said his favorite is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which is not exactly the pick most fans expect. But from his perspective, it makes sense. That’s the movie where the characters start to settle in and where Draco really gets to make an impression.
Felton has also pointed to Half-Blood Prince as one of his most meaningful experiences as an actor, which makes it even more interesting that Radcliffe put that one at the bottom of his list. And honestly, that’s the takeaway here. For the actors, these rankings aren’t just about the finished films, they’re tied to what those experiences meant while making them.
Even the people who lived inside these movies don’t agree on how they stack up. Everyone’s bringing their own memories, their own perspective, their own version of what worked best.
Still, if you’re going to pick a number one, Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a tough one to argue against. And if you want to revisit the whole debate yourself, all eight films are currently streaming with an HBO Max subscription.
