--- title: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" year: 2007 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix" fi1m_score: 68 critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 14 published: "2026-09-18T09:10:39.661982+00:00" updated: "2026-09-18T09:10:51.737293+00:00" region: "US" 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 Order of the Phoenix (2007) Directed by David Yates · 2h 18m · MPA PG-13 · Adventure, Fantasy **Fi1m score: 68** · Critics 69 from 14 reviews *In a sentence:* A takeover in pink cardigans, kitten plates on the wall, and the children are the only adults in the building > David Yates strips the longest book in the series to 138 brisk, grey minutes and hands Imelda Staunton the best villain the films have had. It is the most grown-up Potter yet and, for long stretches, the least magical. ## Synopsis Little Whinging, the summer after Harry’s fourth year. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is attacked by Dementors in an underpass, defends himself with magic and is threatened with expulsion by the Ministry of Magic, which insists Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has not returned and calls Harry a liar. Rescued by a guard of wizards and flown to a hidden London house, he learns from Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) about the Order of the Phoenix, the secret society Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) has revived to fight Voldemort. Back at school with Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), Harry finds the Ministry has installed Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, armed with a pink cardigan and a stack of new rules. Harry wants to fight; Umbridge wants him silent. ## Review Five films in, the series has its fourth director, and David Yates has been handed the longest book of the lot. This is the one in which the Ministry of Magic decides Voldemort has not come back, the newspapers call Harry a liar, and Hogwarts is occupied by a government inspector with a fondness for kittens. Michael Goldenberg’s screenplay gets it down to 138 minutes, and the result is brisk, grey and frequently gripping. It is also the first Potter film in which we would struggle to point to a moment of wonder. The film never quite decides whether that is a loss. Imelda Staunton is the reason to see it. Her Dolores Umbridge arrives in pink tweed, clears her throat in a tiny cough before every interruption, and talks to children in the voice of someone reading a statement to the press. Stuart Craig gives her an office hung with plates on which live kittens mew, and Jany Temime dresses her in pinks that brighten as her powers grow. The detention in which she hands Harry a quill that writes in his own blood made us flinch, and the effect had nothing to do with it. It is Staunton’s smile, held a beat too long, while the boy’s hand bleeds. Sławomir Idziak shoots the whole thing as if the sun had given up. The Dursleys’ suburb is bleached, the London house where the Order meets is lit by candle and not many of them, and Hogwarts, which used to glow, is seen mostly through drizzle. It suits the story and it wears over two hours; there were points where we wanted a window opened. Nicholas Hooper’s score lifts for a night flight over the Thames and murmurs elsewhere. It is competent, and we could not hum you a bar of it. The book is enormous and the film’s method for coping is the montage. Mark Day cuts headlines spinning out of the Daily Prophet, Umbridge’s decrees nailed to a wall until it is nothing but frames, and weeks of secret defence lessons compressed into a couple of minutes of spells and stumbles. It keeps the plot legible, and it means that for a long stretch in the middle each scene exists to tell us something rather than to happen. Around the hour mark we noticed we felt briefed rather than involved. Quidditch is gone entirely. We did not miss it, but nothing looser has taken its place. Daniel Radcliffe is better here than before because he has been given a temper. His Harry is short with his friends, sleeps badly and shouts at the adults who keep things from him, and Radcliffe can do sullen without doing petulant, which is harder than it sounds. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are pushed to the edges and make do with reaction shots. Gary Oldman gives Sirius Black a shabby, damaged warmth, and the film is kinder whenever he is on screen. Michael Gambon plays Dumbledore as a man too busy to explain himself, which is the point and also a little cold. Alan Rickman gets one proper scene, a private lesson in which Snape rifles through Harry’s memories, and makes a meal of every pause. Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes have small allocations of time and spend them loudly. The last half hour is where Yates shows his hand. The Ministry is Craig’s best set in the series so far, a black-tiled underground hall with a fountain at its centre, and beneath it a room of shelves stacked to the ceiling with glowing glass orbs. What happens there we will not describe, except to say that the film stops summarising and lets one sequence run at its own length, and that we sat forward for the first time in an hour. It is well staged, frightening enough to test the 12A, and it does not end tidily. Against the series’ own standards this sits in the middle: more confident than the first two films, less alive than *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* (2004), which is still the one where a director’s eye and the material met halfway. Newcomers will be lost inside ten minutes and should not try. For everyone else it is a sober, well-made chapter and a slightly airless film, best watched at home, where the grey looks like a decision rather than a fault in the projection. Yates stayed on for the remaining three films, and on this evidence you can see why he was asked. *Fi1m score 68, published 18 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics come down in favour, and none against. The praise gathers almost entirely around Imelda Staunton, whose Dolores Umbridge is named in review after review as the film’s standout, the one element that gives this fifth entry a character of its own. David Yates gets steady credit for a confident first outing, cutting the longest book to date into a swift, serious and often tense film, with the Ministry of Magic sequences and the effects work singled out, and Evanna Lynch’s Luna Lovegood drawing warm notices. The reservations cluster around what the darkness costs. Several critics miss the charm and levity of earlier films, note that Quidditch has gone, and find the condensed story episodic, with characters and subplots shortchanged and a climax that lands softly. The spread is real but not wide: The Hollywood Reporter calls it the least enjoyable instalment so far, while Eye for Film and The Skinny call it the best in the series. ### Reviews we read (14) - **Empire**, Helen O'Hara (80/100, inferred): The review finds this the most filmic Potter entry so far, suspenseful and action-packed, though unlikely to win over non-fans. It singles out director David Yates and writer Michael Goldenberg for turning the book's bulk into a taut, grown-up adventure with strong supporting turns, especially Imelda Staunton's Umbridge. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/harry-potter-order-phoenix-review/) - **Radio Times**, Jamie Healy (4 out of 5): The film maintains the magic while embracing a resolutely dark mood in an engrossing fifth entry, with Yates instilling wonder and delivering a spellbinding finale of good versus evil. Some characters and subplots are shortchanged in the adaptation, though standout turns like Staunton's Umbridge provide relief. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-pquwuq/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (B-): The critic describes the film as workmanlike and complacent at times, with a dark mood that it does not soft-pedal. He singles out Imelda Staunton's performance as the standout element amid an otherwise unmemorable entry focused on plot delivery. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix-1798202830) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (70/100, inferred): The critic finds it a sleek, swift and exciting adaptation of the longest novel to date that proceeds as a tense political thriller. It is absorbing but not transporting, a collection of interesting moments rather than a fully integrated experience. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/movies/10harr.html) - **Time Out**, Wally Hammond (3 out of 5 stars): The new director takes a serious, grave approach that keeps the film moving efficiently in a crisp 138 minutes but excises some charm and levity like Quidditch scenes. Strong performances, inventive production design, and thrilling set-pieces stand out amid the darker tone. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (60/100, inferred): Yates consolidates gains without an overpowering style in this way station of a film; the visuals and work with the young cast are strong, but it cannot shake an episodic feeling that makes developing momentum difficult. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-archives-harry-potter-order-phoenix-review-20170626-story.html) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (3/5): The film continues the series' formula with a focus on Harry's first kiss and battles against bureaucratic authoritarianism at Hogwarts led by Dolores Umbridge. It remains solid family entertainment but feels repetitive with forgettable plot twists. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jul/13/harrypotter.family) - **Slant Magazine** (55/100, inferred): The critic notes that the buoyant disposition of the series has been replaced by dread and an adult sensibility, praising Imelda Staunton's villainous performance but criticizing the disjointed, overstuffed narrative and lack of resolution or punch in the climax. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (45/100, inferred): The critic finds the film full of plot but lacking in magic and fun, calling it the least enjoyable installment so far despite being necessary for the story. He notes a grim mood and color scheme with respectable direction and adaptation but highlights the absence of movie magic. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/film-review-harry-potter-order-141303/) - **Den of Geek**, Lucy Felthouse (85/100, inferred): The film is a must-see for fans and potentially enjoyable even for non-fans, delivering excitement and emotional depth as the darkest entry yet. The critic singles out the impressive special effects, particularly the Ministry of Magic sequences, and the strong character development including a standout annoying Dolores Umbridge. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Andrew Robertson (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a well-crafted and confident continuation that is probably the best in the series, praising the handling of themes, performances especially by Staunton as Umbridge and Lynch as Luna, and the effects, while noting some choices in condensing the book. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) - **Digital Spy**, Nick Levine (80/100, inferred): The Order of the Phoenix marks a bold step forward for the franchise as Harry grows up amid rising threats from Voldemort. The critic singles out Imelda Staunton's deliciously despicable turn as Umbridge for establishing the film's own identity beyond previous entries. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a64524/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/) - **/Film**, Peter Sciretta (8/10): The critic praises the visual effects, direction by Yates, and performances especially Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood and Imelda Staunton as Umbridge, while noting issues with the condensed story from the book and wishing for more character moments. Verdict is positive but wanting more. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/496624/movie-review-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/) - **The Skinny**, Jack McFarlane (★★★★): This fifth instalment is the strongest in the series so far, with a well-handled darker narrative and eye-popping action set pieces that improve on prior films. Director David Yates makes an impressive debut and the adaptation effectively uses pre-established characters to push cinematic buttons. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix) ## Details - **Director:** David Yates - **Director:** David Yates - **Screenplay:** Michael Goldenberg - **Novel:** J.K. Rowling - **Cinematography:** Sławomir Idziak - **Editor:** Mark Day - **Music:** Nicholas Hooper - **Production design:** Stuart Craig - **Costume design:** Jany Temime - **Producer:** David Heyman, Lorne Orleans, David Barron - **Cast:** Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter; Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley; Emma Watson as Hermione Granger; Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge; Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange; Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid; Gary Oldman as Sirius Black; Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort - **Runtime:** 2h 18m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 11 July 2007 - **Genres:** Adventure, Fantasy - **Budget:** $150 million - **Box office:** $938 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47PHbQTmw5g ## Where to watch in the US - Peacock: streaming, hd - HBO Max: streaming, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Hulu: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $9.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-18.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - BAFTA Film Awards 2008: Best Special Visual Effects (nominated) - Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Fantasy Costume Design for Film 2008: Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Fantasy Costume Design for Film (nominated) - European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2008: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (won) - Hugo Awards 2008: Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (nominated) - MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss 2008: MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (nominated) - BAFTA Film Awards 2007: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (nominated) - Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Family Film 2007: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Family Film (nominated) - MTV Movie Award for Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet 2007: MTV Movie Award for Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet (nominated) - Saturn Awards 2007: Best Costume (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Pan's Labyrinth* (2006), Fi1m 87: A child, a fascist in a uniform, and fantasy that refuses to make things easier. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pans-labyrinth.md) - *Matilda* (1996): The headmistress Umbridge was hoping to become, and a school that fights back. - *If....* (1968), Fi1m 82: British boarding school rebellion without the wands and with rather more consequences. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/if-1968.md) - *Spirited Away* (2001), Fi1m 92: Another child working out the rules of a bureaucracy run by the strange and cruel. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/spirited-away.md) - *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* (2004): The entry where the series first looked like cinema, and still the one to beat. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix