Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

PG

2009

2h 33m

Fantasy

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

279 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

As Death Eaters wreak havoc in both Muggle and Wizard worlds, Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for students. Though Harry suspects there are new dangers lurking within the castle walls, Dumbledore is more intent than ever on preparing the young wizard for the final battle with Voldemort. Teenage hormones run rampant through Hogwarts, presenting a different sort of danger. Love may be in the air, but tragedy looms and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

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Critics Consensus

Dark, thrilling, and occasionally quite funny, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is also visually stunning and emotionally satisfying.

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Laremy Legel

Film.com

May 6, 2011

A-

I think it's the best of the series, fairly easily, and a testament to why occasionally throwing a massive budget at an endeavor of this scope can be considered a reasonable decision.

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Giles Hardie

Sydney Morning Herald

Jul 22, 2009

3/5

If Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a roller coaster, it's the tiny train meant for only the very youngest kids, the one that seems to go round and round forever without really ever picking up any pace.

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

Jul 20, 2009

All in all, despite the verve that drives the grander set pieces, it's hard to avoid the sensation of a film toiling overtime to convince itself of its own solemnity.

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

May 31, 2025

1/5

This series continues to disappoint. The acting, the story, the characters--nothing worked for me.

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

May 31, 2025

3/5

There was enough here to keep me engaged compared to some of the previous Harry Potter films. The pacing and awkward casting does make this a bit of a challenge to get through.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sep 4, 2023

3/4

Though perhaps not the best directed of the six films thus far, it’s certainly the most affecting and proves, beyond measure, the emotional toll these characters have had on their audience over the last eight years.

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Liam

Sep 2, 2026

Amazing more of this please

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Critical Honesty

Sep 2, 2026

it's OG Harry Potter

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logan browne

Dec 13, 2025

One of my favorites and it’s great to see in the theater for back to hogwarts time.

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Diana G

Aug 31, 2025

All the merchandise was sold out.

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Sulema E

Aug 6, 2025

As the Harry Potter books got darker, the films followed wonderfully.

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Tomas S

Aug 6, 2025

I love rewatching these in the theater! Nothing compares to it and I noticed a lot of things that I missed from watching them at home. Cant wait to watch the deathly hallows pt. 1 & 2

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David Yates

Director

Daniel Radcliffe

Harry Potter

Rupert Grint

Ron Weasley

Emma Watson

Hermione Granger

Helena Bonham Carter

Bellatrix Lestrange

Jim Broadbent

Horace Slughorn

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Synopsis

As Death Eaters wreak havoc in both Muggle and Wizard worlds, Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for students. Though Harry suspects there are new dangers lurking within the castle walls, Dumbledore is more intent than ever on preparing the young wizard for the final battle with Voldemort. Teenage hormones run rampant through Hogwarts, presenting a different sort of danger. Love may be in the air, but tragedy looms and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Director: David Yates
Producer: David Heyman, David Barron
Screenwriter: Steve Kloves
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Television, Heyday Films
Rating: PG (Mild Sensuality|Language|Scary Images|Some Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 15, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $302.0M
Runtime: 2h 33m

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