The Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, on April 8th, 2022. The Fantastic Beasts franchise, like Harry Potter, has proved itself as an inspiration for many fans looking for a dark academia movie.
Featuring many key themes of the dark academia aesthetic, such as mystery, secrets, and social hierarchies, The Secrets of Dumbledore is perfect for those looking for escapism. These themes can also be found in several other movies, making them great watches for both dark academia lovers and Harry Potter lovers alike.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
While Dead Poets Society was released long before the original Harry Potter movies, it's a classic dark academia movie. It follows the late Robin Williams as Mr. Keating, an English teacher trying to inspire his students to follow their dreams. The star-studded cast also includes Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry and Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson.
Similar to Harry Potter, this movie deals with more mature themes of love, loss, friendship, and grief. The focus on the school, the students, and the academics, amidst the chaos around them, also shows how alike the movies are. Arguably one of the first dark academic movies ever, it has the same chemistry and nostalgia that Harry Potter has. The characters of Mr. Keating and Dead Poets Society, almost eerily so.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting is another classic movie that follows an underdog main character who the audience roots for, similar to Harry in Harry Potter. A young Matt Damon stars in the film as Will Hunting, a mathematical genius able to solve any problem thrown his way, but who struggles with the emotions and the personal crises in his life.
Also starring the late Robin Williams as Dr. Sean Maguire, Will's mentor in the movie gives the same energy as Albus Dumbledore. He's a paternal figure who always has the best interests of his students at heart, even if his way of getting them there isn't the most straightforward. This ticks all the boxes for a bittersweet and emotional movie, full of lively ing characters, like Hogwarts students, and the central plot point focusing on the importance of human connection, a theme that runs central to all the Harry Potter movies too.
The Goldfinch (2019)
Based on the New York Times Bestseller by Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch is a book-to-movie adaptation full of haunting storylines and beautifully complex characters. Ansel Elgort stars as Theodore Decker, a child whose life changes after the death of his mother in a terrorist bombing. Theodore Decker finds himself thrown into a world of art thievery, criminals, wealth, and death.
Like Harry, The Goldfinch follows Theodore over the course of his teenage years into his young adult life as he learns valuable life lessons along the way. While Theodore isn't technically an orphan, there are no parental figures in his early life he can turn to. People come and go and he is forced to make a decision about who to trust. Although a little darker than the Harry Potter movies, the key themes of dark academia are still there, especially with the focus on classic art and literature and Theodore's affection for these things.
The Riot Club (2014)
Rumored to be based on the stories of the true clubs at Oxford University, this movie follows the academic lives of two new students, Alistair and Miles, trying to fit in at university. They find themselves mistakenly swept up in the mysteries of secret clubs, private schools, and the belief that money outweighs all evil.
While this movie explores the disagreements of multiple parties in the modern world, it's reminiscent of the Muggles vs Magicians in Harry Potter. There's the element of wanting to do what's right and to fight for the underdogs. It ticks all the dark academia boxes, from the luxurious and expensive suits to the haunting feeling throughout that there are bigger secrets at play. This is the feeling that the viewer is left with when watching the later Harry Potter movies.
Tolkien (2019)
Following the life of J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the greatest fantasy writers of all time, Nicholas Hoult stars as Tolkien in this emotionally driven, impactful movie.
Like Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Tolkien finds himself integrated with a small group of friends that see him through his schooling years. It's full of big scenes and stand-out actors. The key theme in this movie is the focus on literature. There is an obvious connection to dark academia through the classic novels written by Tolkien himself, The Lord of the Rings, but there's also a secondary focus on academia and education. Tolkien himself has a great appreciation for literature, something that is touched upon several times throughout the story.
Maurice (1987)
Based on the 1971 book Maurice by E.M. Forster, the movie adaptation is heartbreakingly beautiful. James Wilby is Maurice Hall, a Cambridge student struggling to fit in with society as he tries to hide his sexuality.
Perhaps another darker recommendation compared to Harry Potter, there is a very relevant feeling of finding one's identity throughout, something Harry is struggling with throughout the movies too. It is a quintessential dark academia movie, full of appreciation for classic literature, academia, and the arts.
Dorian Gray (2009)
Oscar Wilde's classic The Picture of Dorian Gray gets a reimagining in this fantasy horror movie. Ben Barnes and Colin Firth co-star in this haunting adaptation.
Although there is no explicit mention of magic in Dorian Gray, there is an element of unknown powers at play. Much like in the last few Harry Potter movies, something dark has taken hold of Dorian and his wealth is unable to save him from the consequences of his own actions. Given that the movie revolves around a painting and the power of art, it's no surprise that it works incredibly well as a piece of dark academic media.
Kill Your Darlings (2013)
Perfect for Harry Potter fans, this 2013 movie stars the man himself, Daniel Radcliffe. Taking place in 1994 at Columbia University, we see Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe) meet Lucien Carr, played by Dane DeHaan.
The two men spiral into a life of secrets, rebellion, and romance, with a slew of incredibly interesting side characters and plotlines. As with most of these recommendations, there's a focus on literature here. However, different from the previous recommendations, this movie looks at a new literary movement, which questions the importance of the classics. Revoluting against the regime is certainly a plot point used in Harry Potter as well, notably Dumbledore's Army.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
This movie gets a special shout-out for the costumes right away, which are still floating around on Pinterest boards and Tumblr s to this day. Regarded as a cult classic, the movie follows the lives of rich and popular teenage girls in New York as they try and navigate friendship, relationships, and romance. However, they soon find out that their actions sometimes have deadly consequences, despite their wealth and popularity.
The characters in this movie are similar to certain characters in Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy comes to mind, in particular. With less focus on the arts and literature and more focus on the social hierarchy of academics, it feels reminiscent of the social hierarchy referenced throughout the Harry Potter movies.
The Imitation Game (2014)
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the man who decrypted the German intelligence code during World War II, in this book-to-movie adaptation. The Imitation Game has everything a good British war movie has to offer, from scenic landscapes to the harsh reminders of the time.
The movie feels very British, and although this isn't a key requirement for dark academia, it certainly aligns it with Harry Potter. It prompts conversations about British culture and life during a different part of society and time, conversations that match with those about the Muggle world versus the magical world in Harry Potter.
