Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Movie · 2018 · Fantasy, Adventure · 2h 14m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.0/10 (947.7K ratings)
Fate of one. Future of all.
Overview
Gellert Grindelwald has escaped imprisonment and has begun gathering followers to his cause—elevating wizards above all non-magical beings. The only one capable of putting a stop to him is the wizard he once called his closest friend, Albus Dumbledore. However, Dumbledore will need to seek help from the wizard who had thwarted Grindelwald once before, his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.0/10
IMDb: 6.5/10
Letterboxd: 2.66/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 36%
Metacritic: 52
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
David Yates
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures, Heyday Films
Cast
Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, Carmen Ejogo, Jessica Williams, William Nadylam, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Kevin Guthrie, Brontis Jodorowsky, Derek Riddell, David Sakurai, Fiona Glascott
Where to watch
Max
Curator Review
Verdict
A sprawling, overstuffed fantasy sequel with strong production design, a few memorable performances, and a darker political edge, but the plotting is muddy and the emotional payoffs are thin. It’s more interesting as a messy franchise pivot than as a fully satisfying adventure.
Best for
Viewers invested in the Wizarding World lore
Fans of darker, more political fantasy
Audiences who enjoy elaborate world-building over tight plotting
People curious about the Dumbledore/Grindelwald backstory
Skip if
You want a clean, self-contained story
You’re looking for the charm and whimsy of the earlier series
You dislike convoluted franchise setup
You need strong character arcs and satisfying resolutions
Overview
This sequel trades the first film’s breezier creature-feature energy for a denser, more ominous tale of ideology, loyalty, and magical geopolitics. The ambition is real: it wants to be a war story, a mystery, a family drama, and a prelude to something larger all at once. That scope gives it texture, but also makes it feel crowded and unstable.
Worth noting
The best elements are the atmosphere, the production design, and the sense that the wizarding world is becoming politically dangerous rather than merely fantastical. Some performances help anchor the chaos, especially when the film slows down enough to let relationships breathe. But the screenplay keeps stacking revelations and detours, often at the expense of momentum and clarity.
Bottom line
As a franchise chapter, it’s fascinating; as a movie, it’s uneven. If you’re already deep in this universe, there’s enough here to keep you engaged. If you’re not, the film’s tangled mythology and tonal shifts are likely to feel more exhausting than enchanting.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ellie ✨ (1.5★) · 4279 likes
imagine having to go up to a harry potter fan from 2008 and explain some of this shit to them.
"so," you'd say, voice breaking, "here's the thing. dumbledore's secret brother, who is at least 20 years younger than dumbledore, was in a relationship with voldemort's snake."
"wait, so aberforth fucks goats and this new one fucks snakes?" they'd say, laughing with the blissful ignorance of not yet thinking this is real.
"well, she's sort of human."
"oh, like an… more imagine having to go up to a harry potter fan from 2008 and explain some of this shit to them.
"so," you'd say, voice breaking, "here's the thing. dumbledore's secret brother, who is at least 20 years younger than dumbledore, was in a relationship with voldemort's snake."
"wait, so aberforth fucks goats and this new one fucks snakes?" they'd say, laughing with the blissful ignorance of not yet thinking this is real.
"well, she's sort of human."
"oh, like an… more
sindhu (2★) · 2890 likes
did johnny depp really vape out of a skull or did i hallucinate that
Lucy (2.5★) · 2721 likes
jk rowling take a break from writing challenge
Sarah (2.5★) · 1811 likes
watching these movies is kinda like hooking up with an ex. I keep doing it because I think I miss them, but really the thing I miss left us both long ago 😪
mulaney (3.5★) · 1526 likes
is anyone going to talk about the fact that newt’s brother is literally shawn mendes
2010 · Fantasy, Adventure, Action · 1h 49m · PG · Curator 0.8/10 (181.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
A lighter modern fantasy option with magical rules, mentor-student dynamics, and blockbuster effects energy.
Topics
dark fantasy, political allegory, ensemble adventure, mystery, franchise sequel, family drama, world-building, moral ambiguity, period fantasy, blockbuster spectacle