Elijah Williams
Alfonso Cuarón has a bold claim about his contribution to the Harry Potter franchise. According to him, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is not just a fantasy adventure, but a bone-chilling horror movie.
In a recent interview with Total Film magazine, as reported by Games Radar, Cuarón confidently stated that the 2004 film “definitely” falls into the horror genre.
Cuarón explained his reasoning, saying, “When I read the book, there were two elements that I liked. There was the horror film element, but also the noir aspect of it. In a way, when I was doing it, the model was more of the German cinema at the end of the silent era, and the transition into the talkies, like Fritz Lang to Murnau. You can see that some of Fritz Lang’s films are kind of noir, but, at the same time, they have kind of horror elements to them. And, more importantly, particularly with Fritz Lang, through the genre, he was trying to convey – or just to project – the anxieties of his time. I think that what J.K. Rowling did with Potter, it was a reference of our times, of human behavior.”
Despite receiving a PG rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for “frightening moments, creature violence, and mild language,” Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban takes a darker turn compared to its predecessors. The film introduces Dementors, ghostly creatures capable of devouring souls, and features intense scenes that leave viewers on the edge of their seats.
More Harry Potter is in the works from Warner Bros.
After the success of the Fantastic Beasts movies, Warner Bros. is now venturing into a Harry Potter television series. This new series aims to faithfully retell the story from J.K. Rowling’s seven novels, with each season adapting one book.
If you’re craving more magical adventures, you can currently stream Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on Max and Peacock.
