As both an iconic film franchise and a beloved book series,Harry Potteris not lacking in strong, passionate takes on which installment is the saga’s best. The world thatJ.K. Rowlingcreated captured the hearts of an entire generation, and her stories were lovingly adapted to the big screen in a pretty darn great run of eight films in 10 years. While theauthor’s harmful anti-trans statementshave since divided her audience and affected her profits, theHarry Potterfilms remain, for many, sentimental staples of magical reminiscence. Of these eight films, everyone has their favorite. It may be tied to which book they love best, which one conjures the strongest feelings of nostalgia, or which one most heavily features their favorite character. However, oneHarry Pottermovie stands above the rest, and I’m here today to make the case that the third film,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanis unequivocally the best of the bunch.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.
Alfonso Cuarón Was Given Creative Freedom on ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanis perhaps the most important film in theHarry Pottermovie franchise for reasons relating to what was going on behind the scenes. The first two films were adoring, faithful adaptations of Rowling’s first two books,spearheaded by directorChris Columbus. He laid the foundation on which the entire franchise was built, and crucially put together the core cast that would remain (mostly) intact throughout its entire run. But after shootingSorcerer’s StoneandChamber of Secretsback to back,Columbus stepped away from the director’s chair to spend time with his family, and thus handed over directing duties toAlfonso Cuarón. At this point, the producers of the film franchise could have gone one of two ways. They could have forced Cuarón to mimic Columbus’ style and essentially keep things the same. Or they could have given theY tumamá tambiénfilmmaker and eventual Best Director Oscar winner the freedom to play around with the form and put his own stamp on the franchise. Luckily, they chose the latter route.
Beginning withPrisoner ofAzkaban, Rowling’s books start becoming much longer and far denser. While it was relatively “easy” to adaptSorcerer’s StoneandChamber of Secretsfor the big screen without leaving out any major plot points, that task became more difficult as time wore on. So, Cuarón and screenwriterSteve Klovesmade thebrilliant decision to hone the focus ofPrisoner ofAzkabanon Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) himself. If a story or subplot didn’t directly affect Harry, it would fall by the wayside. This would become the North Star for the adaptations moving forward, and it’s a big reason why theHarry Potterfilm franchisewas able to succeed without tripping over itself trying to fit in every single thing from the books.
Cuarón Brings a Darker Visual Style to ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’
Thus, by significantly altering the adaptation approach withPrisoner of Azkaban, Cuarón put the franchise on a course that would ensure success all the wayup through the end. But the second key addition Cuarón made that positionsPrisoner of Azkabanas one of the most importantPottermovies was altering the aesthetic approach. Columbus’ visual style in the first two films was fairly classic, with bright lighting and a traditional coverage style (though he was also constrained by the inexperience of the young actors). WithPrisoner of Azkaban, Cuarón mixed things up significantly, working with cinematographerMichael Seresintobring in a darker palette and more ambitious camera movesthat served to underline the key thematic throughline of the story: change. This eagerness to switch up the visual approach without betraying what came before would become a mainstay of the franchise, as directorsMike NewellandDavid Yateswould subsequently come in and feel the freedom to mix things up thanks to Cuarón’s handiwork onPrisoner ofAzkaban.
‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ Is a Powerful Coming-of-Age Story
However, the visual approach and screenplay adaptation aren’t the only reasonsPrisoner of Azkabanstands out as the bestHarry Pottermovie. It all comes down to the source material, and at its heart, Rowling’s third book is the story of change. InSorcerer’s StoneandChamber of Secrets, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are children. But inPrisoner of Azkaban, the characters are entering adolescence and thus are undergoing a significant evolution as they work to figure out just what kind of adults they want to become.
For Harry, this means confronting the truth about his family and reconciling the fact that his parents’ best friend seemingly betrayed them. That puts Harry on a collision course withSirius Black (Gary Oldman), whom he now despises and wishes to hold accountable for his parents’ deaths. It’sa revenge story and a crisis of identity wrapped into one. For Hermione (Emma Watson), we see a young ambitious girl struggling to excel to the best of her abilities at school (made possible by the possession of a time turner) while also learning to bend the rules a bit to stand up to her friends (see: when Hermione sucker-punches Draco). And for Ron (RupertGrint), well, Ron spends most ofPrisoner of Azkabanlosing track of and getting bitten by his pet rat (who’s actually Wormtail —twist!), butwe love Ron all the same.
From the opening sequence,Cuarón’s direction emphasizes these themes of change. Harry sets out alone after blowing up Aunt Marge, and, indeed, it’s the first time he’s out exploring the world by himself. Even the various other students at Hogwarts are exhibiting peak adolescence as their uniforms vary from tightly buttoned to untucked and unkempt.Allof these characters are growing up, and they’re trying to figure out where and how they fit in.
‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ Is the Most Captivating Harry Potter Movie
It’s not just the fact that the kids are becoming teenagers that makesPrisoner ofAzkabanso compelling: it’s the excellent ways —both subtle and obvious— in which the filmmaking underlines and expands on this growth. It’s one thing for a character to say, “Boy, becoming a teenager sure has its challenges,” and it’s another for the film to rely on the storytelling itself to get this point across.Prisoner of Azkabanis a masterclass in “Show, don’t tell.”
Then, of course, there’s the time travel of it all.Time travel is a difficult conceptto pull off convincingly in any story, but somehowCuarón manages to make the time travel inPrisoner ofAzkabanfeel freshand unique. This is to do with both Rowling’s source material and how Cuarón chooses to show the passage of time, right down to the stunning camera shot that zips over Harry and Hermione’s heads and right through the giant clock inHogwarts castle. The time travel aspect never feels like it’s overshadowing the story ofPrisoner ofAzkaban, and yet it is endlessly compelling, no matter how many times you’ve seen the film.
Indeed, the ways in whichHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanis a joyful and satisfying viewing experienceare innumerable.Michael Gambon’s new, playful spin on Dumbledore;John Williams’ franchise-best score; the whole Shrieking Shack sequence. Each of these little moments works so well, and stands out so memorably, thanks to Cuarón’s confident hand behind the camera. And that’s not to say the otherPottermovies don’t also have great moments and interesting direction —in my mind, there’s not a bad film in the bunch. Nonetheless,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabangoes above and beyond, and is artful and entertaining in such fascinating, unique ways, that it stands tall as thebestHarry Pottermovieof the series.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanis available to watch on Max in the U.S.
WATCH ON MAX
