Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth instalment of the boy wizard movie franchise. It is also the darkest and angriest film of the series to date. Young wizards, playtime is over.
We had the feeling from the last movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, that the franchise is moving towards a darker direction. The characters have grown up and they have to deal with serious issues, such as responsibility and death.
An early scene in the new movie confirms our fears. It features Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his cousin being attacked by the ghostly Dementors in the subway after a sunny day suddenly turns grey. The scene could easily feature in a horror movie as it is genuinely scary and disturbing.
Even when Harry returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - supposedly a warm and safe place - the school is plagued by conflict and struggles for power.
The Minister of Magic calls Harry a liar when he reports to have witnessed the return of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), the new Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, steadily takes over the school with the support of the Ministry and punishes anyone who discusses the possible return of Voldemort.
There are times when the movie, directed by David Yates, feels more like a political thriller than a children's fantasy film. Harry and Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), head of Hogwarts, become targets of a smear campaign, and the punishments meted out by Umbridge, who acts more like the head of a spy unit than a teacher, are painful and sadistic.
