15 Years Later: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Running time: 138 minutes

After the trauma induced by Goblet of Fire (spoiler alert for those of you living under a rock: Voldemort’s back and he did Cedric dirty), we are met with the Order of the Phoenix instalment of the franchise. Let me tell you, if you thought the Hunger Games-esque Goblet of Fire was unfair, then this one’s on a whole new level. I honestly cannot watch this film without a genuine sense of infuriation, and that’s not in any way a bad thing.

I’ll be transparent, though, this film isn’t my favourite of the franchise. I sort of see it as a filler film, between the action of Goblet of Fire and the drama of Deathly Hallows, but it absolutely drives the plot forward, jam-packed with important snippets of information which immerse viewers in the threat Voldemort poses, as strategies on how to stop him are explored.

This film explores the reformation of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation dedicated to bringing an end to The Dark Lord, who is trying to take over the Wizarding World - bringing together some familiar faces including Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Molly Weasley. Obviously, Harry wants to help, as do his friends, but going back to Hogwarts, there’s only so much they can do. That, and while the adults are fighting the threat on the home front, Harry and co. are facing their own threat within the walls of Hogwarts itself - she’s pink, she’s fluffy, and she has the most annoying giggle known to man. You guessed it, Dolores Umbridge is making her debut! Now hear me out… she’s potentially just as bad as Voldemort… if not worse.

Remember when I was talking about having a genuine sense of infuriation? There are loads of factors that contribute to this. Let’s take Harry being threatened with expulsion for saving his cousin, Dudley, from a rogue dementor. Or we could explore how, despite Harry having seen him last year, the Ministry of Magic still refuse to believe that Voldemort has returned… because why would they believe that?

But no, for me, the most infuriating part about the whole film (and book) is the presence of Dolores Jane Umbridge. The woman is fantastically played by Imelda Staunton, and is 100% up there with the classic examples of ‘hate the character, respect the actor’ - like Joffrey from Game of Thrones, Negan from The Walking Dead (although we also kind of love him), and, more recently, John Walker from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She is absolute nightmare fuel, terrorising the students of Hogwarts under her corrupt dictatorship as the Ministry tries to force Hogwarts into line. And she goes to extremes. I’m talking 'we’d be calling the police for sure in the Muggle world' extremes. So, in classic teenage rebellion style, Harry and his friends form Dumbledore’s Army, where they practice defensive magic against the rules (because, obviously, learning how to defend yourself from an evil dark wizard is now banned), and eventually go on to face Voldemort and his cronies in the Ministry itself.

Order of the Phoenix is definitely one of the films that most harshly brings viewers into contact with the reality that life isn’t fair sometimes, and not everything is smooth sailing, even if you’re magic. There’s loss, there’s torment, and there’s a whole lot of angst as the characters battle for justice. How has the film aged on its anniversary? Well, considering this is basically a rant rather than an article, it’s safe to say it still infuriates me. But that’s good. It means it serves its purpose, and is still as impactful today as it was on its release. Fair warning - you’re going to need something a bit stronger than Butterbeer to get through the frustration of this one.

Did you know? Evanna Lynch beat 15,000 girls for the role of Luna Lovegood.