Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. This is a prequel to the beloved Harry Potter movies and sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This film follows the journey of witches and wizards such as the Scamander brothers, Tina Goldstein, Queenie Goldstein and fan favorite, Albus Dumbledore as they fight to keep the world safe from dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.

From the very start the film transports the viewers to the magical world of thrills beginning with the awe inspiring escape of Grindelwald from the clutches of the American Ministry of Magic. Cameras follow the action closely, providing multiple perspectives and creating suspense. The creatures in the film are masterfully designed, and the cast brings to life yet another fantastic tale of magic, adventure, the fight between good and evil, old romances and more.

The ministry predicts that Grindelwald will go after an orphan boy named Credence, who was seen in the previous movie. Credence is an obscurus. An Obscurus (also known as an Obscurial) is described as a “dark” and “parasitic” force, created when a young witch or wizard represses their their magic or were forced to do so through physical or psychological abuse.

Grindelwald, if he persuaded Credence to join him, would have an enormous amount of power on his side. The ministry of magic brings in main character Newt Scamander in an attempt to hire him to hunt down and kill Credence, but he refuses.  Together they all work alongside each other to fight Grindelwald and bring peace once more.

In the previous film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, creatures such as the occamy, a snake-like creature, bowtruckles, small plant creatures and a demiguise,a kind ape like creature were introduced. But this new movie introduces new beasts such as the zouwu, a huge cat like creature, a kelpie, a British/Irish water demon and the chupacabra, along with previously known creatures that are back again, cuter than ever, such as the baby nifflers.  The film throws in lots of ties to other wizarding world movies and books. Some of them are obvious and others, only true fans will see. But there were also some errors that only extreme nerds would recognize.

Throughout the film, several flashbacks occur to Newt’s life at Hogwarts. The casting for said flashbacks was extremely believable and added so much to the film. At one point in the movie, Grindelwald is talking about how wizards should rule the world and showed the non- magical world as cruel and destructive. He showed pieces of real historical events at one point, showing scenes from World War II. The prisoner of war camps, destruction of cities, and the setting off of the atomic bomb. With all of the special effects and sound enhancements, the film is never boring, but it does leave one craving for more and desperate for answers.

The film then ends in an awful cliffhanger, leaving audiences shaken. A third addition to the series is going to be coming out in 2020.