Every Harry Potter fan has their own hill to die on, and this one is mine: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. The sequel is the most underrated gem in the entire franchise, but there’s a problem with its legacy. When looking at Rotten Tomatoes, the film has been slapped with a modest 77% — the lowest score of the series — and the usual critiques are all too familiar. “Too slow. Too dark. Too moody. Not enough Hogwarts. Not enough action.” I’ve heard it all. But those so-called flaws are exactly what make Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 my favorite film in the entire Wizarding World series.
It’s a Road Movie, Not a Magic Show — And That’s the Point
By the time Deathly Hallows: Part 1 rolls around, we’re seven films deep. We’ve seen Quidditch matches, flying cars, secret chambers, dragons, Yule Balls, and enough glittery spell effects. But this one hits the brakes. It steps outside the castle walls, and it dares to get weird.
This is a road movie, plain and simple. It’s The Fellowship of the Ring, minus the hobbits, and with a lot more anxiety going around. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are wandering, lost both literally and emotionally. There’s no guiding adult, no magical school schedule to cling to, no safety net. For the first time, they’re on their own — and it shows.
The discomfort and aimlessness is the whole point. It’s supposed to feel uncertain. And I love that. It’s real. It’s raw. It’s teenage friendship in survival mode. They’re not saving the world with flashy heroics. They’re just trying not to fall apart.
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The Moodiness Is -Chef’s Kiss-
If you’re here for levity and charm, I understand why this one’s not your cup of coffee. It’s grim. The color grading of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 alone probably knocked five points off the Rotten Tomatoes score. Everything is blue and gray, the forest scenes are endless, and at one point, Ron hallucinates Harry and Hermione making out in a glowing fog. It’s….intense.
But for me, that intensity works. It’s bleak because the situation is bleak. Voldemort is out in the open. The Ministry has fallen. Friends are dying. There’s no time for Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. The atmosphere matches the stakes, and for once, the wizarding world doesn’t feel like a theme park. It finally feels like a war zone.
And then there’s that score. Alexandre Desplat brought in some of the series’s most haunting, beautiful music. “Hermione’s Parents,” the track that plays when Hermione erases their memories, is pure heartbreak.
Yes, It’s Slow. That’s Why It’s Brilliant
The most common complaint about the film is that “Nothing happens.” And okay, yes, it does spend a lot of time in tents. But growth happens in tents. So do conflicts and unfiltered emotions. This is the movie that finally cracks open the golden trio and lets them breathe as actual characters.
Ron’s jealousy, Hermione’s emotional burden, and Harry’s loneliness all come out. Without the distractions of Hogwarts life, we finally get to sit with these characters. We feel their exhaustion, their irritation, and their loyalty.
That one dance scene between Harry and Hermione — wholly invented for the film — says more about friendship and grief than any spell ever could. It’s subtle, awkward, touching, and necessary. This is the movie that finally stopped telling us Harry was the “Chosen One” and showed us why it sucks to actually be the Chosen One.
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The Intimacy Makes It Personal
Above all else, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 feels personal. Not just to me as a viewer, but to the characters. We’re not looking at the wizarding world from a distance anymore. There are no big duels and no grand speeches. Just three kids against an impossible world, clinging to each other with every ounce of strength they have left.
And maybe that’s why I love it so much. Because life doesn’t always come with climactic showdowns and clean endings. Sometimes, it’s just about getting through the day and showing up, even when you’re falling apart. Deathly Hallows: Part 1 gets that.
Let the others have their Goblet of Fire dragons or Half-Blood Prince romantic chaos. I’ll be here rewatching the moody, meandering masterpiece that is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. It is not always the lowest-rated film that is the weakest. In this case, it is just the most misunderstood.
You can stream all eight of the Harry Potter movies on MAX.
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