hunger games movie review

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The hunger games, common sense media reviewers.

Strong female lead in violent, thought-provoking adaptation.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

On the one hand, courage, self-control, and persev

Katniss is a brave, resourceful, capable young war

The cast is mostly White, with Black characters in

As in the book, The Hunger Games' central "pageant

A teen confesses his longtime crush to another tee

Very infrequent use of words like "damn," "hell,"

No product placements in the film, but the viral m

Haymitch is often drunk; he has a drink in his han

Parents need to know that The Hunger Games is the first installment in the action film series based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling novels. The film stays true to the books' constant depictions of violence and cruelty, mostly among teen characters. They try to kill one another using various weapons, including…

Positive Messages

On the one hand, courage, self-control, and perseverance -- plus teamwork among like-minded friends -- can help you survive in harsh conditions, such as a dictatorship. But lying and deception are also rewarded.

Positive Role Models

Katniss is a brave, resourceful, capable young warrior who looks after those she loves. Her entire journey is based on a selfless decision to take her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games. Despite the horrific circumstances that she and Peeta are forced into, they persevere to stay true to themselves and protect each other (and, in Katniss' case, Rue). Peeta encourages Katniss to not let the Capitol make her a pawn in their game. Gale, Katniss' unconditional friend, promises to provide for her family in her absence. Haymitch is a flawed but ultimately committed mentor to Katniss and Peeta; Cinna offers Katniss sympathy and support.

Diverse Representations

The cast is mostly White, with Black characters in positive supporting roles. Katniss is a strong, independent female lead who stands up for oppressed people and protects her loved ones. Katniss' sisterly love with the brave teen Rue -- played by multiracial actor Amandla Stenberg, who has African American, Danish, and Greenlandic Inuit heritage -- is a highlight. Lenny Kravitz (who's biracial Black and White) gives soul to the talented stylist Cinna, an empathetic mentor. Nigerian-born American actor Dayo Okeniyi plays Thresh, one of the strongest characters in the film, who's tough on the outside but incredibly compassionate.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

As in the book, The Hunger Games' central "pageant" is a televised battle to the death: 24 children between the ages of 12 and 18 are selected to participate in a bloody reality show-style contest in which there's only one victor. Pervasive sense of peril and tension. Once the Games start, there's an immediate bloodbath, with vicious weapon use, a fair amount of blood, and several dead bodies -- though the quick editing means that the most gruesome bits aren't lingered on. Young combatants die from spears, arrows, knives, deadly insect bites, attacks by genetically modified dog-like creatures, and poisonous berries (some deaths occur off camera). A couple of them also have their necks snapped or heads bashed. The Gamemakers purposely devise situations to try to kill off characters, including a scary fire with fireball projectiles; another scene has a large explosion. Katniss is badly burned; Peeta gets a nasty knife injury. Gory snippets of footage from earlier Games and scenes of a riot (and subsequent retaliation by government forces).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A teen confesses his longtime crush to another teen. They kiss and make out a couple of times.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Very infrequent use of words like "damn," "hell," and "oh my God" (as an exclamation).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

No product placements in the film, but the viral marketing and merchandise tie-ins for the movie (and books) include a line of themed nail polish, as well as apparel, jewelry, games, and more.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Haymitch is often drunk; he has a drink in his hand for the first half of the movie -- though as he gains focus/motivation, he drinks less. Several dinner and party scenes show adults and teenagers drinking various brightly colored beverages/cocktails.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Hunger Games is the first installment in the action film series based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling novels . The film stays true to the books' constant depictions of violence and cruelty, mostly among teen characters. They try to kill one another using various weapons, including knives, arrows, and spears. Necks are snapped, and heads are bashed. Blood, gore, and dead bodies are constantly shown, and characters are poisoned and burned. One sympathetic teen character's death is especially hard to watch. Infrequent strong language includes "damn" and "hell," and one character is often drunk. Despite the film's mature content, main character Katniss ( Jennifer Lawrence ) and her friends and mentors demonstrate various character strengths, including courage, self-control, perseverance, and teamwork. Katniss is a brave, complex female lead, and though the cast is mostly White, Black actors have positive supporting roles. The movie explores thought-provoking themes about reality television, totalitarian government, and screen violence as entertainment. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (286)
• Kids say (1331)

Based on 286 parent reviews

One of the most important movies...

What's the story.

In a post-apocalyptic future, North America -- now known as Panem -- is composed of 12 districts that are controlled by the totalitarian Capitol. Every year, one boy and one girl from each district are randomly selected to compete in THE HUNGER GAMES, a televised battle to the death for the Capitol's amusement. When 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen's ( Jennifer Lawrence ) younger sister is chosen as one of District 12's representatives, Katniss volunteers to be the tribute in her sister's place. Aided by former winner Haymitch ( Woody Harrelson ), personal stylist Cinna ( Lenny Kravitz ), and fellow tribute Peeta ( Josh Hutcherson ), Katniss embarks on an unimaginable journey to emerge as the Games' sole victor, even though that means 23 others will have to die.

Is It Any Good?

Director Gary Ross has faithfully and lovingly adapted the first installment of Suzanne Collins ' riveting dystopian trilogy. Younger teens, even those who've read the book, may find the movie's visceral, sometimes bloody teen-on-teen violence upsetting. But its depictions of violence serve more as the foil to the compelling Katniss, played by Lawrence who completely brings "The Girl on Fire" to life in The Hunger Games. She anchors the movie with her heartfelt portrayal of a fierce, selfless young woman who knows how to survive and how to save the people she loves. And Hutcherson is fantastic as the thoughtful and protective Peeta. (Fans expecting high romance should know there are several tender moments, but their love story takes a rightful back seat to Katniss' extraordinary tale.)

The supporting characters are all equally up to the task of realizing Collins' vision. Stanley Tucci is particularly wonderful as scene-stealing Caesar Flickerman, a smarmy TV personality who hosts the Games and interviews all of the competitors. Elizabeth Banks is hilarious as Effie Trinket, the Capitol's liaison to District 12, and Harrelson is a slightly more understated but just as clever version of perpetually drunk Haymitch. In addition, Kravitz depicts mentor and stylist Cinna with great panache, while then-newcomer Amandla Stenberg portrays the sensitive Rue with emotional strength. These actors give their all to this captivating commentary on government, entertainment, and self-identity. The Hunger Games is violent, but in a heartbreaking way that will make audiences think -- and quickly queue up The Hunger Games' sequel, Catching Fire .

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the "last man standing" premise of The Hunger Games compares to reality TV shows. Which series pit people against each other? Why is it so much fun to watch the alliances, voting off, and general cattiness of these programs? How far do you think shows like this could go, or should go?

Use the movie's depiction of Panem -- particularly the relationship between the Capitol and the 12 districts -- to discuss how much kids understand about totalitarian governments and dictatorships. What does President Snow mean when he says he doesn't root for "underdogs"? Or that too much hope is a dangerous thing? Why are there more bleak portrayals of the distant future than optimistic ones? What are some other books and movies that feature a post-apocalyptic or post-war future?

How does Katniss compare to other female leads in young adult stories? What are some of her unique character strengths? What are her views on love, marriage, and kids, and how are they tied to the unimaginably dire circumstances she endures?

How do the characters in the film demonstrate courage , self-control , perseverance , and teamwork ? Why are these important character strengths ?

How does the movie compare to the book? What are the main differences? Is it different to see violence rather than to read about it?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 23, 2012
• On DVD or streaming : August 18, 2012
• Cast : Jennifer Lawrence , Josh Hutcherson , Woody Harrelson , Amandla Stenberg , Liam Hemsworth
• Director : Gary Ross
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Non-Binary actors, Bisexual actors, Pansexual actors, Black actors, Female writers
• Studio : Lionsgate
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Book Characters , Great Girl Role Models
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
• Run time : 142 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : intense violent thematic material and disturbing images - all involving teens
• Last updated : March 9, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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The Hunger Games – review

I f sport is violence by other means, then reality TV is cruelty, envy, spite and group hate … by exactly the same means. The Hunger Games is an exciting dystopian fantasy-thriller on this theme, taking place in a world of circuses but no bread. It is directed by Gary Ross, and based on the 2008 young-adult bestseller by Suzanne Collins, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ross.

The entirety of North America has become a totalitarian state, traumatised by chronic food shortages; these once inspired a people's uprising in outlying regions, which was brutally suppressed but the relevant communities "forgiven" on condition that they annually supply 24 young people by lottery to compete in a televised survival contest in a fenced-off woodland arena, provided with weapons and food, fighting with the elements and each other until only one remains alive.

In this way, the authorities hope to siphon off the people's tendency to violence and resentment. At first terrified, the chosen contestants are soothed by the pre-contest period: they had been living in dirt-poor rural areas that have regressed to a parody of 19th-century pioneer austerity, like something out of Laura Ingalls Wilder. But the chosen teenagers are brought to a gleaming futurist metropolis beyond their dreams, where people dress with absurdly obvious decadence and foppery. Lavished with food, luxury, top-notch athletic training and the intoxicating thrill of celebrity, they begin to glow: sacrificial lambs who think they're rock stars.

Among them are tough, level-headed Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), two people with some emotional history together. When Peeta confesses his feelings for Katniss and the ratings explode, the thought of lovers who must fight each other to the death begins to electrify the TV public, and requests for a rule change are pressed on the malign president, played, perhaps inevitably, by Donald Sutherland. But is Peeta just playing to the cameras?

The Hunger Games is partly an entertaining throwback to satirical pictures such as Norman Jewison's Rollerball (1975) and Sidney Lumet's Network (1976), although those movies had a very adult, sexy-sleazy feel; The Hunger Games is notably chaste, despite all the fighting. It could also have been inspired by Kinji Fukasaku's Japanese nightmare Battle Royale (2000) and Daniel Minahan's excellent and underrated satire Series 7: The Contenders (2001). The film also awoke in me a very happy memory of the classic first-season Star Trek episode "Arena", in which Captain Kirk is teleported to a uninhabited planet where he has to fight the giant reptilian Gorn, and is told there are raw materials there to create a weapon, if only he can find them.

But these points of reference existed before reality TV took its grip. Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games, on the other hand, has been created by and for people who have grown up with it. Now pop culture is steeped in Pop Idol, American Idol and all the other reality shows in which young people are ritually exposed or humiliated or capriciously promoted to headspinning, temporary fame. The Hunger Games reflects a weird kind of post-ironic accommodation: it doesn't read as satire in quite the same way. The vicious use of Warhol's 15 minutes to oppress and cheapen the public is not presented with distancing black comedy, more a protracted growl of pain.

Yet the vinegary tang of satire is still there. When Katniss has to demonstrate her archery skills to the drawlingly callous judges, she sneers: "Thank you for your consideration." Could this be a sly dig at the campaign language for Academy award nominees? I laughed at Sutherland's shrewd dismissal of the Hollywoodised "sympathy" narrative: "There are lots of underdogs in this world," he snaps, "if you could really see them, you would not root for them either."

Just as in The X Factor, the contestants have preening mentor-figures – here they are Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz). And just as in Big Brother, warring contestants make short-term alliances to manage the outcome, to prolong their presence in the contest, but also because a sociable denial-mechanism is hard-wired into them: for much of the time, they behave as if death is not looming. Reality television's horrible fascination, amplified here, is that we can see this on our screens; they can't. The humiliation of failure on a real reality show is mortifying: the contestants' non-celeb ordinariness counts against them, and their dignity levels plunge well below zero. A living death?

The Hunger Games is a very enjoyable futurist adventure, presented with a compelling, beady-eyed intensity. The worry now is that with big-screen versions of the next books in Suzanne Collins's series coming down the line, the impact will be lessened, and it will become a Twilightish soap. Already there is a hint of a Team-Jacob-vs-Team-Edward conflict as Katniss may have her eye on another hunk, Gale (Liam Hemsworth). For the time being, however, this is supremely effective entertainment.

• The Hunger Games
• Action and adventure films
• Jennifer Lawrence
• Film adaptations
• Suzanne Collins
• Woody Harrelson

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The Hunger Games

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Relax, you legions of Hunger Gamers. We have a winner. Hollywood didn’t screw up the film version of Suzanne Collins’ young-adult bestseller about a survival-of-the-fittest reality show that sends home all its teen contestants, save the victor, in body bags. The screen Hunger Games radiates a hot, jumpy energy that’s irresistible. It has epic spectacle, yearning romance, suspense that won’t quit and a shining star in Jennifer Lawrence , who gives us a female warrior worth cheering.

As 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, the renegade hunter who kills with a bow and arrow and stands up to take the place of her younger sister in the deadly Games, Lawrence reveals a physical and emotional grace that’s astonishing. Give her the deed, because she owns this movie. It’s not just that Katniss makes Twilight ‘s Bella Swan look like the wimp she is, it’s that Lawrence, 21, is an acting dynamo with the skills to let us into Katniss’ searching mind. Last year, Lawrence won an Oscar nomination for playing an Ozark girl in Winter’s Bone . She’s just as affecting this time, lending primal force to this dystopian fable of a society out of sync with human values.

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The Games are a punishment invented by the Capitol of Panem (read: North America) for the 12 districts whose rebellion against Capitol rule was crushed more than 74 years ago. The attitude of President Snow (Donald Sutherland, wily in his evil) is “You screwed us, so we’ll screw you.” Every year on Reaping Day, a boy and a girl (ages 12 to 18) from each district are chosen by lottery to fight to the death in a televised gladiator event devised by head Games-maker Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley). Ratings are not a problem. Even in downtrodden District 12, where Katniss hunts for scraps to feed her sister and her widowed mother, viewing the Games is mandatory. You won’t need your arm twisted to see the movie, artfully shot by Tom Stern ( Mystic River ) as the scene shifts from the perverse lushness of the Capitol to the stark landscape of the battle zone. And did I mention makeovers? All the Tributes (that’s what contenders are called) get them. Katniss has fashion genius Cinna (Lenny Kravitz doing a fun spin on Tom Ford) to create a wow dress that bursts into flame at the hem. Nice one.

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• Lionsgate Films

Summary Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in whi ... Read More

Directed By : Gary Ross

Written By : Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray, Gary Ross

The Hunger Games

Where to watch.

Jennifer Lawrence

Katniss everdeen.

Josh Hutcherson

Peeta mellark.

Liam Hemsworth

Gale hawthorne.

Stanley Tucci

Caesar flickerman.

Wes Bentley

Seneca crane, willow shields, primrose everdeen.

Elizabeth Banks

Effie trinket, sandra ellis lafferty.

Paula Malcomson

Katniss' mother.

Rhoda Griffis

Registration woman, sandino moya-smith, propaganda film tribute, raiko bowman, peeta's mother, dwayne boyd, peacekeeper #1, anthony reynolds, peacekeeper #2.

Judd Lormand

Peacekeeper #3.

Woody Harrelson

Haymitch abernathy.

Claudius Templesmith

Kimiko Gelman

Nelson Ascencio

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The Hunger Games

Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at ran... Read all Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death. Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.

• Suzanne Collins
• Jennifer Lawrence
• Josh Hutcherson
• Liam Hemsworth
• 2.2K User reviews
• 453 Critic reviews
• 68 Metascore
• 34 wins & 49 nominations total

• Katniss Everdeen

• Peeta Mellark

• Gale Hawthorne

• Caesar Flickerman

• Seneca Crane

• Primrose Everdeen

• Effie Trinket

• (as Sandra Lafferty)

• Katniss' Mother

• Registration Woman
• Propaganda Film Tribute

• Peeta's Mother

• Peacekeeper #1

• Peacekeeper #2

• Peacekeeper #3

• Haymitch Abernathy

• Claudius Templesmith

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia There was a swear jar on the set. Co-writer and director Gary Ross said half of it was contributed by Jennifer Lawrence .
• Goofs (at around 16 mins) After Katniss volunteers for Prim, it shows the crowd putting three fingers over their lips and kissing it as a sign of respect. You can clearly see a man in the crowd wearing black with a camera. This is often mistaken as a goof but remember that the 'Reaping' is being televised across Panem.

Caesar Flickerman : So, Peeta, tell me, is there a special girl back home?

Peeta Mellark : No. No, not really.

Caesar Flickerman : No? I don't believe it for a second. Look at that face. Handsome man like you. Peeta... tell me.

Peeta Mellark : Well, there, uh... there is this one girl that I've had a crush on forever.

Caesar Flickerman : Ah.

Peeta Mellark : But I don't think she actually recognized me until the Reaping.

Caesar Flickerman : Well, I'll tell you what, Peeta. You go out there, and you win this thing, and when you get home, she'll have to go out with you. Right, folks?

Peeta Mellark : Thanks, but I, uh, I don't think winning's gonna help me at all.

Caesar Flickerman : And why not?

Peeta Mellark : Because she came here with me.

• Crazy credits The film opens with a worded passage about the history of the Hunger Games. In the last section, all of the text fades away except for the film's title.
• Alternate versions A rough cut of the film was submitted to the BBFC in the UK for an advisory screening, a process used by filmmakers to see how likely a film will obtain a certain rating. The BBFC explained a 12A rating would be likely if the violence was toned down. Four scenes were changes, removing bloody violence, threat and a scene of injury. These included the use of alternate footage and the digital removal of blood. When the finished film was submitted to the BBFC for a formal classification, the BBFC stated that more cuts would be needed in order to secure the 12A. Blood splashes were digitally removed from both impacts to bodies and blood on blades of weapons, achieved through the darkening of certain shots and by digitally erasing blood from the image. The BBFC then gave the film a 12A rating for cinema release. This pre-cut version was released on DVD in the UK with a 12 rating. However, the US PG-13 version was submitted to the BBFC for the UK Blu-ray release, which was classified '15' uncut.
• Connections Featured in Side by Side (2012)
• Soundtracks Deep in the Meadow (Lullaby) Lyrics by Suzanne Collins Music by T Bone Burnett and Simone Burnette Performed by Jennifer Lawrence and Willow Shields

User reviews 2.2K

• billygoat1071
• Mar 25, 2012
• Where are the other continents
• Wasnt Katniss supposed to be the first winner of District 12
• What is "The Hunger Games" about?
• March 23, 2012 (United States)
• United States
• Lionsgate (United States)
• Official Facebook
• Shelby, North Carolina, USA (District 12 reaping ceremony)
• Lionsgate Films
• Color Force
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $78,000,000 (estimated)
• $408,010,692
• $152,535,747
• $695,220,619

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 22 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• Dolby Atmos

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The Hunger Games Review

23 Mar 2012

142 minutes

The Hunger Games

Probably the greatest achievement of The Hunger Games, and there are many, is that in adapting a phenomenally successful teen novel its creative team have produced something that works as a film, not just as an adaptation of a book. There’s no required reading before entering the cinema in order to ‘get it’, and it’s well above the ‘all your favourite bits but with pictures’ business that has become the accepted standard. When a series has sold millions of copies, as Suzanne Collins’ trilogy has, the default position is to produce something that will look just as readers imagined, to show what we were all thinking, rather than offer something nobody had considered. The Hunger Games as a novel has been dissected, expanded and retooled into something intelligent, immersive and powerfully current.

The world of Panem, a futuristic America, is established elegantly in about 90 seconds. First we see two men discussing an event called The Hunger Games in front of an audience; both men evidently so luxuriating in time and money that they can tint and trim every inch of their surface until they resemble painted couture clowns. Then, with a literal scream, we cut to District 12, where all is grey and people dress like the cast of a regional stage production of Little House On The Prairie. This is how Panem is divided. There are the haves and the have-nots. The haves live in The Capitol, amid great wealth and power. The have-nots live in a series of impoverished districts, put under oppressive rule after a failed uprising some time in the indefinite past. Each year two of every district’s youngest members are selected to battle to the death in an arena, from which one will emerge victorious for... no real reason. The poor will do as they are told, however senseless, and the rich will keep on keeping on. The echoes of the 99%ers are clear and not unintended.

This world bleeds with a cruelty from which director Gary Ross never retreats. Even luxury is portrayed as almost oppressive — gluttonous and requiring constant effort. Our heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), is introduced hunting a cute little deer — typically movie shorthand for a complete monster. She has no time for being wistful because she has to survive. This runs right through the film: what is survival worth? Lawrence is perfect as Katniss. There’s very little softness about her, more a melancholy determination that good must be done even if that requires bad things. She stretches many of the tightly anguished muscles built in Winter’s Bone — the District 12 scenes have a similar hard-bitten feel — plus some other more traditionally gym-honed ones.

The violence and cruelty is most explicit in the Hunger Games arena, a vast, synthetic forest where 24 children hunt each other, and the level of brutality is very smartly done. You don’t get a rating suitable for a teenage audience by gutting preteens or decorating the landscape with their blood. So Ross cuts around it. The constantly searching, handheld camerawork used throughout the film comes in most useful during moments of violence, flashing round the action and making you think you’ve seen everything without ever really clocking anything that would upset your appetite.

If this were real, it slyly asks, would you watch it? Well, would you?

It’s an old trick but a very effective one. The only clumsy element of these scenes is an intermittent commentary provided by Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones, which fills in incidental story details in a brash ‘Basil Exposition’ way. When it pops up, it kills the momentum.

Arguably more interesting than the cruelty within the arena is that going on outside, which is almost entirely of the film’s invention. Unlike in the book, we see The Capital’s Gamemakers pulling the strings, despatching contestants with casual stage directions. It’s all played with a cold, even hand, chilling in its absolute lack of concern for consequence. It’s these moments that linger after the film has finished because it doesn’t seem quite so very removed from reality. If this were real, it slyly asks, would you watch it? Well, would you?

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Watch CBS News

"The Hunger Games" reviews: What critics are saying

By Jessica Derschowitz

March 23, 2012 / 4:37 PM EDT / CBS News

(CBS News) Reviews of "The Hunger Games" are in, and the odds seem to be in the film's favor.

Critics, overall, have been positive about the highly anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian novel, praising both director/co-screenwriter Gary Ross and actress Jennifer Lawrence, who plays heroine Katniss Everdeen.

Pictures: "The Hunger Games" cast in NYC Pictures: The world premiere "The Hunger Games" scores big with midnight debut

"Relax, you legions of Hunger Gamers. We have a winner," writes  Rolling Stone  critic Peter Travers. "The screen 'Hunger Games' radiates a hot, jumpy energy that's irresistible. It has epic spectacle, yearning romance, suspense that won't quit and a shining star in Jennifer Lawrence, who gives us a female warrior worth cheering."

Entertainment Weekly 's Lisa Schwartzbaum gave the film an A-, writing, "This 'Hunger Games' is a muscular, honorable, unflinching translation of Collins' vision. It's brutal where it needs to be, particularly when children fight and bleed. It conveys both the miseries of the oppressed, represented by the poorly fed and clothed citizens of Panem's 12 suffering districts, and the rotted values of the oppressors, evident in the gaudy decadence of those who live in the Capitol. Best of all, the movie effectively showcases the allure of the story's remarkable, kick-ass 16-year-old heroine, Katniss Everdeen."

"'The Hunger Games' runs nearly two and a half hours in length but is the rare film that never drags and doesn't overstay its welcome," said the  Associated Press ' Christy Lemire. "It could keep running as long as Katniss does, and we'd want to be right there every heart-pounding step of the way."

Others wondered if the film - rated PG-13, despite the violent events depicted in the novel - went far enough.

David Edelstein of  New York  magazine writes, "Watching 'The Hunger Games,' I was struck both by how slickly Ross hit his marks and how many opportunities he was missing to take the film to the next level - to make it more shocking, lyrical, crazy, daring."

"It's also clear that the need for a PG-13 rating dictated moderation; a film accurately depicting the events of the book would certainly carry an R," said Todd McCarthy, of the  Hollywood Reporter . "That said, 'Hunger Games' has such a strong narrative structure, built-in forward movement and compelling central character that it can't go far wrong."

Ross, writes Manohla Dargis, of the  New York Times , "has a way of smoothing even modestly irregular edges. Katniss, who for years has bagged game to keep her family from starving, was created for rough stuff -- for beating the odds and the state, for hunting squirrel and people both -- far rougher than Mr. Ross often seems comfortable with, perhaps because of disposition, inclination or some behind-the-scenes executive mandate."

Tell us: Do you plan to see "The Hunger Games"?

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Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the hunger games: the ballad of songbirds & snakes.

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The most gripping aspects of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” don’t even have to do with the actual Hunger Games themselves. They come later, in part three of this lengthy prequel, based on the 2020 novel by Suzanne Collins .

Sure, there’s some fascination in seeing this early incarnation of the games, set 64 years before the original film's events. Panem hasn’t been a dystopian wasteland for long, and this rudimentary version of the elaborate bloodbath we’ll know is meant to serve as the capitol’s punishment against the districts for their uprising. You don’t have to be an aficionado of the franchise to appreciate the bleakly vivid sense of place returning director Francis Lawrence creates, although fans will probably enjoy seeing references to Mockingjays, for example, and even the name Katniss. In these moments, we are all the Leonardo-DiCaprio-pointing-at-the-screen meme.

Within this furious state of flux, a young Coriolanus Snow begins his rise to power. We know he eventually gets there, as embodied in the original films by a chilling Donald Sutherland . But Tom Blyth ’s evolution into that tyrannical presidential persona is fascinating to watch in its grand gestures and tiny revelations. Snow goes from a moneyed pretty boy destined for entitled greatness to a clear-eyed manipulator intent on crafting his fate. It is a star-making performance.

The subtlety of this supervillain origin story is what makes it so unsettling. In the script from Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt , Snow asserts increasing control not through sheer brute strength but rather through simple, calculated decisions, one after another. Initially, he can tell himself he’s doing the wrong things for the right reasons; eventually, he doesn’t bother to make that bargain with himself anymore.

We see it in how he pretends he’s still wealthy around his pretentious school friends, even though his once-prominent family has fallen on hard times, as many have. Grandma’am ( Fionnula Flanagan ) puts on airs but can barely pay the rent; cousin Tigris ( Hunter Schafer ) remains kindhearted amid the suffering. These influences seem to shape how he approaches his responsibilities as a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird ( Rachel Zegler ), the District 12 tribute he must guide through the 10 th  annual Hunger Games.

Lucy Gray makes an impression from the first second her image is splashed on screens across the nation; the titular songbird, she stands out in her melodic method of protest, and Zegler, the “West Side Story” star, has further blossomed in her charisma. Her voice soars, of course, but the notes that catch in her throat are even more emotional.

Blyth and Zegler share a spiky chemistry that’s equal parts attraction and mistrust. Each of them realizes they can help the other survive and thrive because making it out of the Hunger Games alive isn’t the only goal. Creating the most memorable spectacle is what matters most now, we learn from head game maker Dr. Volumnia Gaul. Viola Davis plays this chicly sadistic figure with just the right amount of camp, and she’s the beneficiary of costume designer Trish Summerville ’s most striking creations.

Jason Schwartzman , meanwhile, offers some delightful zingers as schmaltzy emcee/weatherman Lucky Flickerman, a predecessor to Stanley Tucci ’s blue-haired game show host Caesar Flickerman. His bemused mantra, “See what happens when you do stuff?” is an all-too-relevant commentary on our attention-hungry times. And the retro-futurism of the mid-century modern TV studio suggests a promise of prosperity that winning the Hunger Games could never possibly provide.

Peter Dinklage grounds these events, which range from the silly to the savage, as Casca Highbottom (gotta love Collins’ creative character names). He’s the dean of the Academy who helped develop the Hunger Games in the first place; now, he’s the voice of reason, suggesting maybe they’re not such a good idea anymore. Dinklage brings a down-to-earth, wry wisdom, which is much needed in this wild world. The kills feel more brutal here because these kids don’t have to endure complicated challenges to complete them; they just have to pick up a weapon and aim for each other. (Some repurposed delivery drones also up the level of startling violence.) That’s where the clever bond between Snow and Lucy Gray comes into play. And because they’ve formed a deeper connection than most mentors and tributes, the film’s third chapter feels much more fraught.

Here, we see how the depth of Snow’s dark side fully reveals itself. There’s a shift in his posture, a hardening in his eyes. Lucy Gray, meanwhile, knows how to use her folksy charm for maximum beguiling effect. Whereas the energy may have felt a bit uneven in the previous two chapters—titled “The Mentor” and “The Prize”—part three, “The Peacekeeper,” makes a bold departure in terms of location, emotion, and tone. It moves out of the austerity of the capitol and into a pastoral forest setting, where returning cinematographer Jo Willems creates a lush vibe that’s both romantic and dangerous. Here’s where the 157-minute film slows and gets quieter, making room for exquisite tension between two people who dared to trust each other.

“Snow always lands on top” is the longtime credo for Coriolanus and his family. The question of how it falls, and whether it sticks, makes “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” a surprisingly suspenseful prequel.

In theaters today.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

Rated PG-13 for strong violent content and disturbing material.

157 minutes

Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow

Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird

Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow

Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius 'Lucky' Flickerman

Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom

Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul

Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth

Fionnula Flanagan as Grandma’am

Isobel Jesper Jones as Mayfair Lipp

Ashley Liao as Clemensia Dovecote

Jerome Lance as Marcus

Knox Gibson as Bobbin

Burn Gorman as Commander Hoff

• Francis Lawrence

Writer (based on the novel by)

• Suzanne Collins
• Michael Lesslie
• Michael Arndt

Cinematographer

• Mark Yoshikawa
• James Newton Howard

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Movie Review: The Hunger Games (2012)

• Greg Eichelberger
• Movie Reviews
• 17 responses
• --> March 22, 2012

With a built-in audience of mostly 14-17 year-old girls, director Gary Ross (“Pleasantville,” “Seabiscuit”) puts forth The Hunger Games — a rather faithful version of the first novel in Suzanne Collins’ best-selling trilogy, telling the tale of a post-apocalyptic North America divided into 12 districts.

And with the country having gone through a rebellion years before, the government, led by a white-bearded Donald Sutherland, has instituted a punishment of sorts to be inflicted on the treasonous districts. This rather bizarre action includes taking a young male and female from each area and forcing all of them to fight to the death. These “Hunger Games,” have since turned into a media sensation, with celebrations and a highly-rated “reality” show to show off the chosen ones. Smarmy host, Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”), even does Ryan Seacrest/Geraldo Rivera-type commentary and interviews with the selectees.

Coming out of the most remote district (No. 12) is super bow hunter Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar-nominated for “ Winter’s Bone ”) and baker’s apprentice Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, “ Journey 2: Mysterious Island ”). The movie informs us that Katniss volunteered for this punishment to protect her little sister, Primrose, who was originally chosen.

The movie also tells us that in the near future, names like Katniss, Peeta and Primrose, will become commonplace. In addition, despite the presence of an all-powerful police state dictatorship which can rip young people from the arms of their families at will, the populace dresses like rejects from any city’s Gay Pride parade, with hairdos similar to the Whos of Whoville. (One cannot help but weep for a fashion future that makes the 1970s look understated and conservative).

Anyways, Katniss and Peeta are soon whisked off to the capital, where they meet their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson, “ Rampage ”), the overbearing chaperon Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks, “ Man On a Ledge ” and looking like Johnny Depp in drag on the set of “ Alice In Wonderland ”) and clothing designer Cinna (singer Lenny Kravitz). They are also introduced to the producer of the Hunger Games TV show, Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley, “American Beauty,” “ Ghost Rider ”), as well as the other “contestants,” each with their own special survival and/or fighting skill.

About an hour into The Hunger Games , the games actually begin. Katniss, even though an expert archer who has spent most of her youth in the woods, nevertheless has difficulty adjusting, as some weird alliances are formed specifically against her (why some of the selectees would align themselves with anyone, though, since only one can survive, is a bit questionable). Other kids, many with zeal, go after one another with swords, axes, scimitars, bows and arrows, as well as other instruments of destruction. The quick-cut, hand-held camera work made ubiquitous by flicks like “ Cloverfield ” diffuses some of the gore in these sequences but not so much that we don’t know what’s going on. The viewer will have to see for themselves what further happens during these games, but a few unexpected twists make the conclusion a real surprise (unless of course, one has already read the book — which, thankfully I had not).

Top-notch acting, especially from Lawrence, Tucci, Banks and Harrelson, and surprisingly by Hutcherson and Kravitz, lift this adaptation over similar films such as those in the “The Chronicles of Narnia” franchise, but below those in the “Harry Potter” series and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, however. Meanwhile, Tucci’s running commentaries on the games brings to mind Richard Dawson in “The Running Man,” although the latter had much better one-liners.

Still, in these movie doldrum months, The Hunger Games , while not great, is certainly an effective and workmanlike effort. And while the subject matter of children and young teenagers fighting one another to the death may lead some parents to think twice about bringing their own kids to the picture, the movie is sure to top the box office as well as produce sequels (two books remain to be adapted) in the future.

Tagged: future , murder , novel adaptation , survival

I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.

Movie Review: Despicable Me 3 (2017) Movie Review: Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) Movie Review: All Eyez On Me (2017) Movie Review: The Mummy (2017) Movie Review: Baywatch (2017) Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Movie Review: The Promise (2016)

'Movie Review: The Hunger Games (2012)' have 17 comments

March 22, 2012 @ 4:37 pm Sal

Great movie. A lot of fun,.

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March 22, 2012 @ 5:11 pm Leslie

I’m a big fan of the books and I,m excited to see how they’ve interpreted Suzanne Collins’ words for the movie. By all accounts they did it justice!

March 22, 2012 @ 7:24 pm Wakie

Good review other than the mispelling of the lead character’s name. The sequels you mention are already in production too so how well the hunger games does at the box office is irrelevant.

March 22, 2012 @ 7:54 pm Bob Plocke

Not remarking on how good the movie was or wasn’t (sounds like it was good), I want to know is it the trend to now make every prepubescent girls fantasy novels into a movie nowadays? I’ve had enough already..

March 22, 2012 @ 8:12 pm SHEEN

I have high hope for this. Happy to read the movie has the ability to stand on its own.

March 22, 2012 @ 9:43 pm Zinberger

Casting all around is good although Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson don’t have the best chemistry. Lenny Kravitz is a show stealer.

March 23, 2012 @ 6:36 am V. Seston

My wife & I liked the movie. Had the right amount of drama and action, and not too much of the dreary teen angst that choked the Twilight movies.

March 23, 2012 @ 9:20 am Jess

It would help the credibility of your review if you actually spelled the main character’s name correctly. It’s Katniss, not Katness, as you have repeatedly spelled it.

March 23, 2012 @ 11:24 am sasori

@Jess/Wakie

Name fixed. Thanks for pointing our mistake out.

March 23, 2012 @ 6:03 pm Sour Kurt

You’re right. The slaughter at the cornucopia could have been gorier but it was still more graphic than I thought it would be. Imagine if this had been R-rated.

March 23, 2012 @ 10:41 pm Racks

If you haven’t read the books, I’d suggest giving them a go. While the movie is very well done and sticks closely to the story, the books will fill in some of the subjects glossed over by the film.

March 24, 2012 @ 11:26 am Horacio

Lenny Kravitz steals scenes from who exactly? He’s in all of 10 minutes in the movie….

March 24, 2012 @ 3:00 pm ned220

Why didn’t they just burn down the tree that she scaled to get away? So much of the movie defied common sense.

April 15, 2012 @ 11:46 am Brad

didn’t quite live up to the hype but it was good enough to build interest in the upcoming sequels.

April 19, 2012 @ 12:47 am kayla

I loved the books and the movie. Cant wait till catching fire. (Nov.23 or 22 2013.)

April 23, 2012 @ 6:03 pm Crystal

I thought it was too disturbing for the tween crowd it is catered towards.

October 23, 2012 @ 8:41 am Charlie

I thought it very dull for a ‘kill or be killed’ contest.

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The Hunger Games Movies In Order

Following Twilight ‘s path, the The Hunger Games ignited the box office in the early 2010s, and then it was full-on ignition to the young adult adaptation craze as filmmakers chased that high of dystopian lows extracted from Suzanne Collins’ book series. Divergent , The Giver , The Maze Runner , The 5th Wave , The Host , Ender’s Game came barging in, though few could match the Hunger Games ‘ potent action, romance, and world-building, alongside the star-making combination of Jennifer Lawrence as upriser icon Katniss Everdeen. It’s a world where a ruined America, a sinister and deadly national game, and a decent love triangle collide — a maturation for the generation that grew up on millennial fantasy and Harry Potter .

If you’re here to pay tribute by watching the series front-to-back, here’s the order the movies originally released:

• The Hunger Games (March 23, 2012)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (November 22, 2013)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (November 21, 2014)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (November 20, 2015)
• The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (November 17, 2023)

And with Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes being a prequel set 64 years before the Katniss’ story, if you want to watch The Hunger Games in the series’ chronological timeline order, simply move that last movie into the first viewing position.

THE HUNGER GAMES MOVIES AND SHOWS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) 64%

The Hunger Games (2012) 84%

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) 90%

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014) 69%

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 (2015) 69%

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The Hunger Games

Jennifer Lawrence stars in the blockbuster adaptation of Suzanne Collins' popular dystopian novel series, which centers on a heroic young woman who leads her downtrodden people in a revolution against the status quo.

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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

The Hunger Games (2012)

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Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Review – Rachel Zegler Makes Prequel Sing

The odds are still ever in this series' favor as The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes proves it was the right time for a Hunger Games prequel.

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There is something to be said about the cycle of sci-fi films made in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. While the decades to come would be defined by Star Wars pew-pews, for a little while there, the genre was fixated almost wholly on grim cynicism, downbeat endings, and unadulterated dystopia. I’m a sucker for all that jazz, even when it’s at its silliest. That would be your “Soylent Green is people!” films or the sequels to Chuck Heston crying, “Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!” This could also explain why I sat with a smile for nearly all 157 minutes of Francis Lawrence ’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes . It’s grandiose, kooky, and sometimes cruel. But despite being adapted from a YA book, this gray universe imagined by Suzanne Collins still feels refreshingly adult in our own modern multiplex land of bread and circuses. 

A belated prequel to the four Hunger Games films that dominated pop culture about a decade ago (three of which Lawrence directed), and based on a Collins novel of the same name, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes attempts the infamously delicate balancing act of creating an origin story for the original series’ greatest villain. This is usually a tantalizing thought experiment for fans, but more often than not leads to disappointing results (again, Star Wars). Hence why returning to Panem’s authoritarian government and televised murder of children always seemed a tricky proposition, particularly as the villain in question is Coriolanus Snow. He was a fiend played beautifully by Donald Sutherland, but there aren’t too many audiences who want to sympathize with a fascist these days (except, well, you know…).

Nonetheless, Collins and Lawrence’s narrative tightrope never falters, at least thematically, even as it boldly stares into the abyss and then crosses over. As played by Tom Blyth, young Corio is sympathetic to a certain point, and his fate is definitely tragic, but he is also the doomed fool in the larger narrative about how corrupt systems present choices. You can make mistakes, but you also must live with the consequences of them, including if you make the Faustian bargain of working in that system.

Perhaps the tragedy of Snow, then, is his privilege damned him to fall from the start. When we meet him as a young man, it’s more than 70 years before the original Hunger Games film, and in more ways than one, Panem is a long way from being covered by Snow’s blanket dictatorship. Corio has in fact grown up on the margins of the Capitol’s elite government, the last male heir of a once great house now in disgrace. He and his cousin Tigris (Hunter Schafer) attempt to disguise the Snows’ desperation after a civil war ravaged the wealth of the continent and triggered the creation of the Hunger Games, but he’s on his last credit while attending an exclusive government academy. And he cannot expect much help from the faculty since Dean Casca Highbottom ( Peter Dinklage ) has publicly made it his life’s mission to punish young Snow for the sins of his father.

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However, opportunity arises when Dr. Volumnia Gaul ( Viola Davis ), the first gamemaker in the sinister Hunger Games, turns up to ask the next generation represented by Highbottom’s students for ideas about how to make the Hunger Games great again. After a decade of existence, they’ve largely lost their popularity with even the Capitol citizenry tired of watching shivering, half-starved children brutally murder each other in the same arena. So each student is encouraged to mentor one Hunger Games tribute this year and find ways to make them essentially compelling television fodder.

This is how Snow meets Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). She’s a charming District 12 folk singer who seems to have stepped right out of the 19th century, and if her voice can beguile enough viewers, Snow might have a ticket out of destitution. But who is using who, and could there be actual affection between the Capitol scion and the girl seemingly condemned to a horrid death?

There is obviously a lot of plot Songbirds & Snakes is working through, and as per the custom with most modern YA adaptations, it does little to reduce or streamline the novelistic detail of the source material. Yet it is also a credit to Lawrence that he can balance all of these details with efficiency and confidence. He easily crafts the most entertaining Hunger Games film since his first contribution to the series, 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire . The film is sure-footed and builds its bleak world with an earnestness that grounds even the most camp elements in something approaching plausibility.

For the record, the most camp thing in the prequel is a toss-up between Jason Schwartzman’s Hunger Games announcer attempting to out-mug Stanley Tucci by way of street magic, and Davis’ delightful scenery-chewing as Dr. Gaul. The latter’s mad scientist hair adds about two feet to her height, and a perverse smile and leering gaze make this a big swing and a big hit for one of the greatest actresses alive.

Still, it is the softer elements that ground the material and allow it to sing, including most literally Zegler’s melodious voice. Lucy is a clever inversion of Jennifer Lawrence’s beloved Katniss Everdeen. Whereas Katniss was a warrior who was forced to perform for an audience, Lucy is a bonafide performer who is never once in danger of being mistaken as an action heroine. This makes her odds of survival in the Hunger Games all the more bleak. Additionally, while Zegler’s Southern accent is about as believable as Vivien Leigh’s, her charisma is also in a similar vein. With a beaming Appalachian affability and wolfish grin, her overt friendliness belies a shrewd calculation that seems to be desperately playing the angles, including possibly a bewitched Snow.

Theirs is a Hollywood melodrama, which given the material seems to intentionally echo post-Civil War weepies of yesteryear. While the extreme context of their blooming attraction makes it seem distant and suspect, at least in this reviewer’s mind, both performers bring a conviction to it, and Zegler another star turn after West Side Story .

Where the film does run into issues is the 10th annual Hunger Games themselves. The film and book take a lot of pleasure in contrasting the differences between Katniss’ spectacle and what it was like before Snow came to town. Taking place in essentially an outright gladiatorial arena in the classical Roman sense, the games are a naked punishment here; a televised execution where children are dumped into a zoo to await being fed to the proverbial lions in the same clothes they arrived in.

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It is Snow and Lucy’s innovations that begin the games’ apparent drift toward reality television sleaze, but for such a grim setting one senses Lawrence is pulling his punches. Whether due to the film obviously seeking a PG-13 rating, or it simply aiming to feel more like an adventure than a trauma, the movie has the kids gallivant around an arena that feels largely constructed with blue screens and CGI. The are far too many choreographed action-packed thrills that contradict the horror of main characters. Also, despite the picture’s grimier context, there is a noticeable lack of dirt under its fingernails, which in retrospect gives a greater appreciation to Gary Ross’ stripped down, no-frills depiction of the Games and District 12 in the original 2012 film.

The prequel similarly hits some pacing issues during an extended denouement that sees Snow face the fallout of all his best and worst intentions. But for longtime fans of the series and many of its early 21st century ilk, such as Harry Potter, this may be part and parcel to the deal.

Most of these films lean a little too heavily on recreating every plot point and character beat on the written page, and can overstay their welcome at times with luxuriant running times. The best of them, however, accomplish so much in their world-building that it is impossible not to be sucked into the fantasy, no matter how foreboding or bittersweet. The Hunger Games: Songbirds & Snakes definitely leans heavily on the bitter, but it does so with big ideas and an old-fashioned sincerity. Like any first snow, it’s cold but strangely pleasant.

The Hunger Games: Songbirds & Snakes opens in theaters on Friday, Nov. 17. 

3.5 out of 5

David Crow | @DCrowsNest

David Crow is the movies editor at Den of Geek. He has long been proud of his geek credentials. Raised on cinema classics that ranged from…

The Best Quote From Each Hunger Games Movie

May the quotes be ever in your favor.

The Hunger Games remains the best dystopian series in modern history. The worthy heir to the legacies of Harry Potter and Twilight , The Hunger Games stars Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, a teenager who volunteers to participate in the titular competition, a televised event where teenagers fight to the death. After emerging victorious, Katniss inadvertently kickstarts a revolution against the oppressive ruling of the Capitol.

The franchise spawned five movies, all of which received positive notices from critics and fans. The Hunger Games ' strong sociopolitical message is among its most recognized and acclaimed aspects, with the five films' revolutionary spirit being expertly captured by the compelling screenplays. Still, certain lines stand out in each Hunger Games movie , whether because of their powerful nature or their innate quotability. These now-iconic dialogues summarize the saga's essence, cementing it as one of the defining cinematic events of the 2010s.

1 "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Multiple characters - 'the hunger games' (2012).

The first film in the series follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a young girl from District 12 who takes her sister's place as tribute in the 74th annual Hunger Games. She is then forced to compete in a death match against other teenagers, forming a strategic yet shifting alliance with the fellow male tribute from her district, the kind and unassuming Peeta Mellark ( Josh Hutcherson ).

The quote "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor" has become synonymous with the franchise. It perfectly embodies the saga's main themes , summarizing how the citizens of Panem treat the cruel and sadistic spectacle as nothing more than a fun form of entertainment to be enjoyed. Several characters speak the quote in the first movie, most notably the colorful and scene-stealing Effie Trinket ( Elizabeth Banks ) and the main villain, Coriolanus Snow ( Donald Sutherland ). The line is instantly memorable yet profoundly unsettling , a trivialization of an unspeakably ruthless event and the perfect proof that The Hunger Games was unlike any other teen franchise.

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2 "It must be a fragile system if it can be brought down by just a few berries."

Katniss everdeen (jennifer lawrence) - 'the hunger games: catching fire' (2013).

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire sees Katniss and Peeta back in District 12 following their joined victory in the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss soon receives a visit from the menacing President Snow, who reveals her act of defiance in the arena could result in a rebellion. Katniss then questions the strength of the Capitol and Panem, to which Snow agrees before threatening her with the prospect of a war where thousands of her people would undoubtedly perish.

Katniss' line works on multiple levels. For starters, it is a great representation of her character, a rebel unafraid to speak her mind even in the face of danger. Secondly, the line speaks to the saga's overall themes of absolutism and the fragility of political structures against a united front. Lawrence's delivery further enhances it, with the Oscar-winning actress speaking the words in a stoic yet purposeful manner. Similarly, Donald Sutherland's reaction is equally effective, as Snow agrees with Katniss yet reminds her that he still has the upper hand. Clever without being overly elaborate and impactful without being preachy, this quote might be the best in the entire saga: it's striking, biting, and thought-provoking, and one of the best parts in what is undoubtedly the best Hunger Games movie .

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

3 "fire is catching, and if we burn, you burn with us.", katniss everdeen (jennifer lawrence) - 'the hunger games: mockingjay - part 1' (2014).

Following her rescue from the arena during the 75th annual Hunger Games, Katniss becomes a crucial player in the revolution against the Capitol. Assuming the moniker of "Mockingjay," Katniss becomes the rebels' face, traveling all of Panem with a camera crew that documents her deeds. When Katniss witnesses the Capitol targetting a hospital, her raw anger prompts her to deliver this powerful quote to the camera.

Jennifer Lawrence is among her generation's best actresses , and this is among her finest moments in the Hunger Games series. Katniss is heartbroken over the loss of life, but she's even more angry and frustrated at the Capitol's cruelty. Her words are full of rage and purpose , delivering her impassioned speech as a promise rather than a treat. Once again, this quote works as an encapsulation of the saga's themes of revolution , acknowledging that, in many conflicts, there is no victor. However, people are so angry that they don't care if they die as long as it's on the battlefield while standing up for what they believe. It's a tragic sentiment that accompanies most wars, and the revolution against the Capitol is no exception.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

4 "my dear miss everdeen. i thought we'd agreed never to lie to each other.", coriolanus snow (donald sutherland) - 'the hunger games: mockingjay - part 2' (2015).

Coriolanus Snow is among the most instantly iconic modern movie villains . A huge reason for his success is due to Donald Sutherland's impeccable performance; the actor takes what could easily be a one-note antagonist and injects him with tremendous flair, making him a standout in the saga. His complicated relationship with Katniss is another part of the equation, as Sutherland and Lawrence craft a mesmerizing and shifting dynamic that remains fascinating throughout the four movies.

During Snow's last private encounter with Katniss, he finally concedes defeat before leaving her with one last revelation. By this point, Snow has real respect for Katniss, which he shows in the most peculiar way. Despite their opposing views, the two have a surprisingly honest and respectful relationship, so it makes sense that Snow would honor their agreement until the end. The line is far more potent because of Sutherland's ironic delivery, accompanied by Lawrence's profoundly troubled reaction. This dialog expertly summarizes four movies' worth of character development for Snow and Katniss , ending their complex and layered dynamic on an eerie yet suitable note.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

5 "nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.", lucy gray baird (rachel zegler) - 'the hunger games: the ballad of songbirds & snakes' (2023).

Eight years after the final film in the original saga, the franchise came back to life with The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes . Set 60 years before the events of The Hunger Games , the film centers on a young Coriolanus Snow ( Tom Blyth ), who forms a deep connection with the young tribute he's meant to be helping, Lucy Gray Baird ( Rachel Zegler ). Through his interactions with her, Snow will find himself at a crossroads, deciding the type of man he wants to become.

Although a far less compelling heroine than Katniss, Lucy Gray remains a fascinating leading figure. Her spirited, willful personality is a breath of fresh air, and her willingness to go against the system without necessarily rocking it makes her stand out among the many other teen heroines in modern cinema. This quote is perfect to describe Lucy Gray's entire persona. She knows her situation and is well aware of what might happen to her, recognizing her lack of skill in a situation where brute force prevails. However, she remains steadfast, choosing to keep her dignity and inner strength rather than succumb to fear or despair. It's a tremendous line that's perfect for the Hunger Games saga , proving the movies still have what it takes to shine even a decade after the first movie.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

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NEXT: Every Hunger Games Movie, Ranked by Rewatchablity

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‘The Hunger Games’ Is Back. Here’s What You Need to Know.

With the prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” now in theaters, here are answers to questions you may have about the franchise.

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By Brandon Yu

Arriving eight years after the most recent film in the franchise, “The Hunger Games” is back with a new installment: “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” Adapted from a 2020 novel by Suzanne Collins, the author who created the “Hunger Games,” this film serves as a prequel, taking place 64 years before the events of the first film.

For those who don’t remember the back story all that well or have never seen the original movies, here’s a refresher on everything you need to know before jumping into this new dystopian adventure.

How long has this been in the works?

A film adaptation was planned before Collins’s book was finished. In 2017, Lionsgate, the studio behind the original movies, indicated that it was interested in potential spinoffs, and Collins reached out to Francis Lawrence, who directed the previous three films, about an adaptation while she was still writing the prequel novel.

Do I have to watch the other movies before watching this one?

That’s up for debate. This prequel is self-contained enough that it could make for an entertaining watch even for those who don’t know much about the original story. You wouldn’t feel completely lost, but you might miss out on some Easter eggs. Most of all, the story it tells about its protagonist, Coriolanus Snow, would be less rich an experience.

Where can I watch those movies?

All four of the “Hunger Games” movies are currently streaming on Peacock .

What was the original story about?

In the dystopian world of Panem, 12 districts live under the rule of the Capitol and its president, the ruthless Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland). As punishment for a rebellion decades ago that ostensibly destroyed District 13, the Capitol hosts the annual Hunger Games, an elaborate, televised battle royale in which a boy and girl from each of the dozen districts are chosen as “tributes” to fight to the death.

After her younger sister is selected for the 74th Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a teenager from District 12, the poorest among all districts, volunteers in her place. She allies herself with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), District 12’s male tribute, and becomes enveloped in the world of the Capitol and the depraved spectacle that the games represent.

A firebrand in and out of the arena, Katniss, through her participation in the games, becomes a political symbol. Known as the Mockingjay, she is associated with bolstering a simmering revolution, which makes her the primary enemy of President Snow.

What is this prequel about?

The film, and the book it’s based on, follows the rise of Coriolanus Snow, long before he becomes the president of the Capitol. A young student hoping to restore the faded glory of his family, he takes part in a new mentorship program, designed to help inspire a more exciting 10th Hunger Games, and is tasked with guiding Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12.

Despite Lucy Gray’s grim chances in the Games, Coriolanus becomes close with her as he commits to helping her survive. But as their relationship threatens to conflict with his own rise to power, he is pulled between good and evil.

Did anyone from the original cast return?

Perhaps a natural result of the 64-year gap between the events in this prequel and the first film, no actors from the original cast are part of this installment. Lawrence, though, has returned to direct the new film.

So who stars in this one?

Tom Blyth, a relative newcomer best known as the lead of the Epix show “Billy the Kid,” stars in the central role as Coriolanus. He is joined by Rachel Zegler (who starred in the Steven Spielberg remake of “West Side Story) as Lucy Gray Baird.

The supporting cast features major names including Peter Dinklage (Dean Highbottom, Coriolanus’s professor), Viola Davis (Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaster), Jason Schwartzman (Lucky Flickerman, the host of the Hunger Games), and Hunter Schafer (Tigris, Coriolanus’s cousin).

Were those original movies any good?

The four previous films, which together grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide, were each received positively by critics and audiences alike. “It speaks to its moment in time,” the Times critic Manohla Dargis wrote of the second film, “Catching Fire.” As a defiant heroine, Katniss, Dargis noted, was emblematic of an overdue shift in mainstream storytelling and “the primary reason that both the book and screen versions soar above the usual adventure-fiction slag heap.” The character also made Jennifer Lawrence a global star and a major box office draw.

Are there more films planned after this new one?

Fans might not want to get their hopes up. This adaptation covers the entirety of Collins’s prequel book, meaning there is no official source material left for a potential follow-up. And last month, Lawrence said he regretted having split the final book of the original trilogy into two films. So, don’t count on a second ballad any time soon.

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The Hunger Games Prequel Forgets the Franchise’s Nightmarish Message

To its credit, the original Hunger Games trilogy had a certainty of intention: to make clear that war is a nightmare, even when it feels necessary, and the only way out of it is through brutality that might kill your spirit if it doesn’t kill your body first. Suzanne Collins spun three solid YA novels out of that straightforward anti-violence idea, and the Jennifer Lawrence –starring films stuck closely and effectively to the books’ conception of totalitarianism and revolution. In its return to Panem, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes isn’t missing star power; Viola Davis is going full Eddie Redmayne in Jupiter Ascending , and her commitment to maniacal menace is a treat. The same goes for Jason Schwartzman, who plays the Hunger Games’s first host as a social climber disappointed with having to miss a dinner reservation because the child slaughter is going longer than he anticipated. And there’s enough action, too, in a dialed-down version of the Hunger Games that, lacking sponsors and donations, is driven primarily by the contestants’ ferocity. What The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes can’t evoke, though, is The Hunger Games ’ sense of moral lucidity. It’s all thematically muddled, narratively regurgitated stuff that makes the film feel like a nearly three-hour backsliding of this franchise’s onetime political forcefulness.

Based on Collins’s 2020 prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes rewinds the Hunger Games timeline by nearly 70 years to focus on Coriolanus Snow. In the first three novels, he’s Panem’s scheming, bloodthirsty president; in Songbirds and Snakes , he’s a child during the First Rebellion and a teenager when the Hunger Games are a decade old. The focus is a year or so in Snow’s life, and part of the issue with the film adaptation from franchise director Francis Lawrence and co-writers Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt is that such a sliver of time is simply not enough to build a coherent portrait of who Snow is. His turn to the dark side is predetermined, yet The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes doesn’t take the time to convince us another option ever existed.

Sometimes The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes feels like a Nicholas Sparks throwback about the unlikely romance between a sassy Southern girl and a more straitlaced military guy; consider the promo still of Snow with a buzzcut and dog tags, lounging with his love interest by a lake. Other times the film is about the failure of the neoliberal change-comes-from-within promise, and about the soul-crushing pressure of paying back student loans, and about the dangers of making new friends. These are all probably recognizable, even relatable, subplots for the film’s intended adolescent audience. But they’re disparate, free-floating ideas that lack a legible ideological throughline. Centering a villain isn’t inherently a mistake, but The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, loaded up as it is with unnecessarily explained, Solo -esque backstory details, never feels intimate enough in its examination of Snow, nor big enough in its consideration of his impact on Panem, to justify his primacy.

Those backstory details are as follows: Snow is the son of a respected general who was killed during the First Rebellion and is in his final year at the Capitol’s Academy. His family is poor, and Snow is banking on receiving the Plinth Prize, a cash scholarship awarded to the top Academy student. There are two people standing in his way: Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage, bored), who hates Snow for a too-late-clarified reason, and Head Gamemaker and Department of War leader Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Davis), who announces a change in the rules of the Plinth Prize. For the first time, to battle the low ratings of the Hunger Games, 24 Capitol students will be paired with the 24 tributes from the 12 districts. (The film assumes a high baseline level of Hunger Games knowledge from its viewers, and relies on Dinklage for chunks of exposition that still don’t fill in the gaps for total newcomers.) The student who is the best mentor will win the prize, but “best” doesn’t mean that their tribute should be the victor; Dr. Gaul wants “spectacles, not survivors.” So when Snow is paired with District 12’s Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler, going all-in on a Dolly Parton accent), a singer who tells the Capitol to “kiss my ass” during the Reaping ceremony, he sees an opportunity. Surely this girl, with her rainbow-colored dress, her sonorous voice, and her big mouth, will lead him to victory.

But love gets in the way, if you can believe it! There’s Snow’s love of country, instilled in him since childhood by his patriotic grandmother and his cousin Tigris (Hunter Schafer), who expect him to follow in his father’s footsteps and rise to a position of leadership. There’s also Snow’s best-friend love for his classmate Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andrés Rivera), a transplant into the Capitol from District 2, where his family became extremely wealthy manufacturing weapons for the First Rebellion. Sejanus is the only Academy student willing to argue against the existence of the Hunger Games, and Snow admires his courage, ineffective as it may be. And it’s hard, the film argues, for Snow not to love Lucy, who the film presents as basically a pop star: charming, off-the-cuff, always ready to take the stage. These relationships pull Snow in various directions, and they pull the film, too; the script sometimes feels like it’s missing chunks of dialogue that would better explain Snow’s conflicting motivations. (There are missed opportunities for character development throughout; the film could have gotten a lot of internal tension out of how much of Snow’s desire to succeed is nature versus nurture, or how much of Lucy’s personality is manufactured for the stage). The Hunger Games had a strong grasp of how propaganda functions and how it bends people toward and away from it. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes wants to make a point about how Panem divides Snow and Lucy, but as serviceable as Blyth and Zelger are as performers, their actual love story needs to be believable for us to notice.

A major flaw is how repetitive this all feels, with various recurring Hunger Games elements used for our emotional manipulation — not just the omnipresence of the “The Hanging Tree” song, the Zegler version of which plays throughout as both the score and diegetic music, but also a scene in which the smaller female tribute from District 11 is killed, resulting in the rage of the larger male tribute from District 11. That exact same scenario occurred with Rue and Thresh in The Hunger Games , and the racial optics of it in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are still uncomfortable. The production-design team does have a flair for macabre details, like dozens of vats of baby mutts lining a game-maker’s laboratory; an “Enjoy the show!” announcement trilling from the sound system in the Hunger Games arena when the contestants arrive, as if they’re all sitting down for a movie instead of fighting for their lives; and jabberjays in District 12 echoing rebels’ screams as they’re executed at the Hanging Tree made famous by Katniss’s song in Collins’s Mockingjay . And there are a couple of slick visuals, too: a fish-eye lens effect used for Lucy’s initial moments in the arena and a later scene when Snow gets lost in the woods, bound together by a shared disorientation. In those moments, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snake s feels most worthy of The Hunger Games name — most aware of the nightmarish obedience demanded in this world, and how it inspires both fear and revolt.

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The Hunger Games franchise gave us some of the most popular movies in recent memory. But no matter how many times you’ve seen all four movies, you probably don’t know everything about them.

Starring Jennifer Lawrence , Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth , the franchise tells its story across four movies.

It’s been nearly 10 years since the last movie premiered in theaters, but we’re still learning new things about the franchise.

We did some digging and rustled up 10 secrets from the franchise, including details about Jennifer ‘s pay and the scene she hated to film, on-set injuries, roles that almost went to other actors and the moment that resulted in damage to a sacred site.

Take a look and let us know if anything surprised you!

Scroll through the slideshow to check out 10 secrets from the set of The Hunger Games…

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