---
title: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1"
critics_score: 64
critics_reviews: 20
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010): what the critics said

Critics' score 64 from 20 reviews: 9 positive, 9 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics lean cautiously positive, and the praise gathers around one decision: leaving Hogwarts behind. Reviewers find this the darkest and loosest entry so far, and several credit David Yates with treating the trio’s relationships patiently now the school, its staff and its comforts are gone. The cinematography and production design are singled out, as is a short animated sequence that even the coolest reviews call the film’s best-looking passage. The three leads are widely thought to have grown into the roles.

The reservations cluster almost entirely on the middle stretch, where the trio wanders the countryside and the plot stalls under exposition; “sluggish” recurs. Many question the choice to split the book, finding this half all setup and little payoff. The spread is wide, from Collider’s near-rave to Sight and Sound and Den of Geek, who find it inert and frustrating. The fan sites are warmer than the broadsheets, which is perhaps not surprising.

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2010. 

Part one reaches a level of maturity and depth that might help it cross over to skeptics and works well as a single film. It is elegantly directed with luminous cinematography and impressive production design.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1/5020429.article)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2010. 

The film is described as solid and dependable in the hands of Yates, who treats the source material respectfully without taking risks. It notes the challenges of the 'Part 1' split and the emphasis on fidelity to the book.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-nov-18-la-et-harry-potter-20101118-story.html)

## The New York Times — A.O. Scott

Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 19 November 2010. 

The review finds the film a somber, effective transition for the series as the young wizards leave Hogwarts behind for a dangerous adult world. It praises Yates for his sympathy with the characters and the story's rhythm.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/movies/19harry.html)

## Variety

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2010. 

Yates delivers the series' most expansive and free-form chapter, dark and despairing as the trio ventures into the wilderness. It highlights resonant intimate moments and animation but notes occasional faltering under exposition.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2010/film/features/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-1117944031/)

## Empire — Nick de Semlyen

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2010. 

The film leaves cosy trappings behind for a darker road-chase story but is bogged down by overplotting and a sluggish middle section with too many MacGuffins. Strong set-pieces and inventive effects stand out amid the pacing issues.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-1-review/)

## Evening Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

This is the bleakest entry yet, grim in tone and colour with the trio on the run facing huge odds and no Hogwarts scenes. It is gripping with effective magic and performances but ends too abruptly, leaving viewers sad.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/first-review-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-7422511.html)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2010. 

The critic notes that ditching Hogwarts makes the film feel looser and freer, showing unexpected signs of life. It remains weighed down by fidelity to the fanbase, plot quirks and mythical baggage.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/nov/18/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-review)

## Radio Times — Steve Morrissey

Rating 3/5. 

The franchise runs aground with a drifting story, sluggish pacing and choppy transitions that will frustrate all but devoted fans. Some stunning set pieces and a beautiful animated segment redeem things considerably.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-eiqutm/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1/)

## The Independent

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 12 November 2010. 

The film feels like an appetiser before Part 2, with strong ominous and scary opening sequences but sagging pacing in the middle as the trio wanders the countryside. It allows some adult themes and finishes strongly enough to whet appetites.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/first-night-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-2131928.html)

## Time Out — Tom Huddleston

Rating 3/5. 15 November 2010. 

This is the least satisfying instalment since the first films, with too much expository middle and an episodic plot that wanders aimlessly. Some highlights exist but the decision to split the final book feels like a mistake.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-1)

## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson

Rating C. 18 November 2010. 

Yates pushes his serious approach to extremes, resulting in an odd mix of action-fantasy and self-reflective indie elements that feels herky-jerky with glacial brooding alternating with rushed exposition and battles. The film is largely wheel-spinning setup that only intermittently sparks onscreen.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-1798166575)

## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager

Rating 2/4. 17 November 2010. 

Yates delivers an inert, static affair that is all setup and no payoff, with excessive fidelity to the source material dragging proceedings and CG action undermined by poor editing. A brief animated interlude provides the only visual spark in an otherwise unmemorable and stretched-thin narrative.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2010. 

The film offers a sober, faithful rendering of the first half of the Potter finale that is darker and less joyful than its predecessors. It excels in technical wizardry and expansive adaptation but can feel ponderous and tests the young leads without their usual supporting ensemble.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-44623/)

## Sight and Sound — Sophie Mayer

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 November 2010. 

The film struggles to dramatise swathes of exposition from the book and never quite thrills despite a clear theme of death and love. Yates is hampered by the need to set up the finale with endless dialogue rather than allowing moments of wonder or grief.

[Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/reviews/releases/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-pt-1.php)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A-. 18 November 2010. 

The critic calls the film a triumph for casting aside Hogwarts comfort in favor of a quiet, contemplative, and sorrowful tone focused on uncertainty and the trio's relationships. Minor flaws include a rushed death and lack of a true climax, but it rewards audiences with organic shifts between tones.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-1-movie-review/)

## Eye for Film — Jeff Robson

Rating 4/5. 15 November 2010. 

The critic calls it the best in the series so far and comparable to Lord of the Rings, praising Yates' assured direction, thrilling set-pieces, and the lead actors' mature performances while noting some exposition issues.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-i-film-review-by-jeff-robson)

## /Film — Russ Fischer

Rating 8/10. 19 November 2010. 

The critic finds it one of the most satisfying Potter films, a moody and visually beautiful entry with superb cinematography and strong performances from the core trio, though noting some deus ex machina moments and its nature as the first half of a larger story.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/512326/movie-review-harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-i/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2010. 

The critic praises the film for showing the young leads maturing into capable young adults over the series, with their forays into romance and danger making this entry rewarding. The balanced mix of drama, humor, effects, and new appreciation for the natural world is highlighted, along with Dobby's heroic death scene.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/review-why-harry-potter-how-youve-grown-22639/)

## Paste — Josh Jackson

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2010. 

The review praises the faithful, spacious adaptation of the book's first half that shows the trio's growth amid despair and self-doubt, highlighting the non-CGI dance scene and improved action. It notes the story feels incomplete as only half the tale, leaving an unsatisfying intermission.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/harry-potter/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-review)

## Den of Geek — Simon Brew

Rating 3 out of 5. 12 November 2010. 

The critic notes that the film effectively conveys the passage of time and has a gripping first third with strong sequences and performances, but it drags in the middle with excessive camping and pacing issues, ultimately feeling frustrating and overlong as half of a story.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1.md