critic Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Review

★★★☆☆ 3/5

Verdict

Newt Scamander’s 1920s New York romp.

By Marcus Webb · Horror & Genre Critic · July 24, 2026

Where to watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Streaming: HBO Max

By region: HBO Max in the United States; HBO Max in the United Kingdom

Full scores & availability on the movie page.

Guides for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Watch Order Guides Harry Potter Watch Order: Movies, Fantastic Beasts & HBO Series

Is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them worth watching?

Yes — 74% Celluloid Score. In 1926, Newt Scamander arrives at the Magical Congress of the United States of America with a magically expanded briefcase, which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats. When the creatures escape from the briefcase, it sends the American wizarding authorities after Newt, and threatens to strain even further the state of magical and non-magical relations.

Directed by David Yates, the film remains a cornerstone of the Harry Potter watch order on Celluloid, scored alongside the rest of the Wizarding World catalogue and the upcoming HBO series Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Verdict

Newt Scamander’s 1920s New York romp — creature comedy that soft-relaunches the Wizarding World before Grindelwald politics take over. Pair it with our full franchise watch order and where-to-watch notes on the movie page.