Movie

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Name: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Released: 2022

2022 • Adventure, Fantasy

Woke Score

out of 10

Plot

Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald's growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines? (Warner Bros media release)

Overall Series Review

The film centers its main conflict on an overtly political allegory where the villain, Gellert Grindelwald, advocates for pure-blood elitism and the subjugation or extermination of non-magical people, which mirrors contemporary social and political tensions. A diverse team of wizards, witches, and a Muggle baker is assembled to defeat him, explicitly championing a universal meritocracy and tolerance over the villain's identity-based fascism. The emotional core of the film is revealed to be Albus Dumbledore's youthful love for Grindelwald, explicitly confirming his alternative sexuality as the origin of his personal trauma and a key driving factor in the narrative. While the central female lead from previous installments is marginalized, other female characters are portrayed as competent, and the main male lead is presented as an eccentric, gentle hero, not a toxic or bumbling figure. The narrative avoids focusing on traditional religious conflict, concentrating instead on a secular, magical political election ritual, drawing its moral authority from an Eastern mythological creature. The overall tone is anti-fascist, with identity and sexual orientation playing a significant, and in one case, central role in the storytelling.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics7/10

The central conflict is built on the allegorical vilification of 'pure-blood elitism' against the 'Muggles' (non-magical people), which functions as a thinly veiled lecture on prejudice and systemic oppression. Dumbledore intentionally recruits a diverse, international team, including Black and Asian characters, to represent a global alliance of virtue. However, some non-white characters are given minimal dialogue or screen time, leading to commentary that the diversity feels forced and superficial.

Oikophobia3/10

The main antagonists, Grindelwald and his European followers, target Muggles for genocide or enslavement, framing non-magical human civilization as fundamentally inferior. The heroic figures, largely British and American wizards, fight to protect the Muggle world, meaning the narrative’s moral center remains within the Western-associated hero's framework. The institution of Hogwarts is celebrated as a protective home and a source of good.

Feminism2/10

Female characters hold positions of power and competence, such as Aurors and one of the initial candidates for Supreme Mugwump. The main male lead, Newt Scamander, is characterized by his sensitivity and social awkwardness, but he is not emasculated or made incompetent. The female leads are generally depicted as skilled and having moral complexity, rather than being flawless 'Mary Sue' or 'Girl Boss' tropes.

LGBTQ+8/10

The film explicitly confirms Albus Dumbledore’s same-sex romance with Gellert Grindelwald, with Dumbledore stating he was 'in love' with the dark wizard. This relationship is not merely subtext but is the core source of Dumbledore's emotional trauma and the driving element behind his central conflict in the movie, making an alternative sexual identity central to the narrative.

Anti-Theism1/10

The conflict is entirely focused on a magical political struggle for control of the wizarding world. The ultimate authority for choosing a leader is vested in a magical creature from Eastern mythology (the Qilin) and ancient magical rituals, not traditional religion. The narrative contains no discernible hostility or critique aimed at organized religion, specifically Christianity.