Fans Looking Out for Fans: Movie Health Community Evaluates Potential Health Hazards in “Potter” Films

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone has severe lightning strikes during a full scene in a cabin on the ocean and again later in an entire set of scenes, which start suddenly and go for about 10 minutes. In both of these instances, the lightning continues beyond the climax of the action taking place. There is more mild lightning in the title card at the beginning. A flashback scene has some slow but very bright strobe effects. One character makes two attempts at performing magic, which both fail with severe but quick strobe effects, meant for comedic effect. A few scenes are lit by flickering fireplaces.

There are some flying scenes in this film, including an extended sequence of a sport on flying broomsticks. One segment of this film takes place on a moving train. Outside of these two parts, all of the camera work is either stationary or very smooth.

Flashing Lights: 10/10. Motion Sickness: 5/10

TRIGGER WARNING: Abusive guardians, brief gore, children in peril.

ADMIN NOTE: We have evaluated this film in the past, but we have determined that it merits this new evaluation, given that our methods of evaluating films for health hazards have expanded since the original post.

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has a few camera flashes, most of which are sudden, but they always occur from single cameras with single flashes, not creating strobe effects. There is a bright light with a mild flicker as a flashback scene ends. A very similar effect happens near the end of the film. Several scenes are lit by flickering fire.

There are a few flying scenes in this film, some of which briefly follow action through barrel rolls and other disorienting maneuvers. The motion involved in the flying sport scene in this film is much more mild than the similar scene in Sorcerer’s Stone (2001). One brief flashback sequence distorts and stretches the images.

Flashing Lights: 2/10. Motion Sickness: 4/10.

TRIGGER WARNING: Scenes of creature horror involving giant spiders and a giant snake. One character spends two scenes vomiting large slugs, the first incident of which has obvious warning beforehand. A character’s arm breaks with a graphic sound. Two characters are drugged. Some physical abuse toward one character is shown near the end of the film.

ADMIN NOTE: We have evaluated this film in the past, but we have determined that it merits this new evaluation, given that our methods of evaluating films for health hazards have expanded since the original post.

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban uses flickering lights in two settings near the beginning of the film: in a kitchen, and under a streetlight; both instances only lasting a few seconds. There are a few scenes with rain that have some lightning. During the Quidditch scene, there is extensive use of severe lightning-related strobe effects. Almost every time the phrase “Expecto Patronum” is heard, a very bright light is shown, which has a very slight flicker to it.

Near the beginning of the film, there is a sequence inside a high-speed passenger bus, where everything and everyone shifts with the motion of the bus. There are multiple high-speed flying scenes, one of which includes barrel rolls, and a character falling from an extreme height. One extended sequence takes place inside a room that rocks slowly from side to side. Through the entire film, the camera is moving, but outside of these scenes, the camera’s motion is very smooth.

Flashing Lights: 7/10. Motion Sickness: 6/10

TRIGGER WARNING: Brief allusions to physical abuse.

ADMIN NOTE: We have evaluated this film in the past, but we have determined that it merits this new evaluation, given that our methods of evaluating films for health hazards have expanded since the original post.

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has lightning effects in two scenes in the first half hour of the film (one as people touch a boot, again during the beginning-of-term speech at the school). There are flashing cameras in an early sporting event scene, spread throughout the stadium. After all of these, there are no more strobes until a brief moment at the very end of a maze sequence late in the film.

The aforementioned scene with a boot has extreme spinning. A few scenes, including that one, involve falling from extreme heights. There are a few high-speed flying scenes, and an entire sequence taking place underwater. Outside of these scenes, the camera work is all either stationary or very smooth.

Flashing Lights: 6/10. Motion Sickness: 5/10

TRIGGER WARNING: This film features a supremacist organization that dresses similar to their real-life counterparts. One teenager is murdered. There is one scene with animal cruelty. A deep and bleeding cut is shown multiple times in a close-up.

ADMIN NOTE: We have evaluated this film in the past, but we have determined that it merits this new evaluation, given that our methods of evaluating films for health hazards have expanded since the original post.

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has multiple scenes of magical combat that use extreme strobe effects. Other potential hazards include flashing cameras, lightning, rapidly-changing images, and flickering lights.

A few action scenes briefly use shaking cameras. There are a few scenes where the camera moves at high speeds and disorienting ways through newspaper montages. Two scenes have high-speed flying over extreme heights.

Flashing Lights: 10/10. Motion Sickness: 6/10.

TRIGGER WARNING: There are multiple scenes of corporal punishment of children that involve skin cutting. One adult slaps and threatens a child. A bully makes a homophobic insult. Facts become politicized, which may seem too real in the modern age.

ADMIN NOTE: We have evaluated this film in the past, but we have determined that it merits this new evaluation, given that our methods of evaluating films for health hazards have expanded since the original post.

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens with scenes of lightning in the clouds, and cameras flashing from all directions. There are brief moments of mild flickering lights. One brief scene around the halfway point of the film has some magical combat, with minor strobe effects. Some scenes are lit by flickering fireplaces.

There are a few scenes of high-speed flying, which include banking turns and barrel rolls, but these scenes are brief. A few shots use cameras that are tilted sideways. One brief scene shows a form of travel that uses extreme distortion of the image, lasting just a few seconds.

Flashing Lights: 4/10. Motion Sickness: 3/10.

TRIGGER WARNING: One incident of audible vomiting; convulsions and foaming at the mouth when a character is poisoned.

ADMIN NOTE: We have evaluated this film in the past, but we have determined that it merits this new evaluation, given that our methods of evaluating films for health hazards have expanded since the original post.

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

HarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows: Part 1 has multiple scenes with magical combat that use extreme strobe effects, almost all of which happen very suddenly. Other scenes have rapidly-changing images. There is some lightning, and a few moments with rapid camera flashes.

One scene shows a form of transportation that involves severe distortion of the image on screen for several seconds. There are multiple flying scenes, and some action with handheld cameras.

Flashing Lights: 10/10. Motion Sickness: 6/10.

TRIGGER WARNING: Multiple bloody injuries, supremacy at government levels, a brief creepy-crawler moment with spiders, and a story told that includes suicide.

ADMIN NOTE: We have evaluated this film in the past, but we have determined that it merits this new evaluation, given that our methods of evaluating films for health hazards have expanded since the original post.

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

HarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows: Part 2 has scenes of magical combat that use extreme strobe effects, many of which happen suddenly. A few scenes use rapidly-changing images.

There are multiple scenes at extreme heights and speeds, one on a roller-coaster-type track and a few with flying. One extended flashback sequence uses frequent image distortion.

Flashing Lights: 10/10. Motion Sickness: 5/10.

TRIGGER WARNING: Brief but aggressive animal cruelty.

ADMIN NOTE: We have evaluated this film in the past, but we have determined that it merits this new evaluation, given that our methods of evaluating films for health hazards have expanded since the original post.