If you ask a Harry Potter fan their favorite film in the series, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince would be an unlikely answer. Out of all eight films, it sits squarely at number four on Rotten Tomatoes' ranking, with an 84% on the Tomatometer and a 78% audience score. It's the second Harry Potter film directed by David Yates, who would go on to direct both of the series' final installments, along with the Fantastic Beasts prequel series. Despite its middling reputation, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the last fun Harry Potter film, giving us some final moments of petty teenage drama and romance before the weighty Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films. It's a welcome reprieve after the humorless Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, leaning into comedy while providing brief but significant glimpses into the gravity of the forthcoming films.