Our Ranking of the Hunger Games Franchise

The Hunger Games franchise is one of the most famous Young Adult franchise for good reason. Adapting the four books, which is soon to be five with the release of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the books and films have a cult following. There are no winners in war and the events of the franchise are one of the best representations of that. Introducing a generation of young adults to themes such as propaganda, war, PTSD, systems of government and revolution, the films are an insight into the desensitisation we have towards violence and conflict. Jennifer Lawrence has enjoyed a career filled with incredible pieces of work and has four Oscar nominations to date, with The Hunger Games and portraying Katniss Everdeen as one of her early works. Her performance contributed to the rising stardom she was experiencing with Winter’s Bone and her Oscar nomination alongside playing Mystique in the X-Men franchise. Katniss remains one of her most iconic characters and as the franchise is being re-released in the cinema, here are our rankings of each film.

The Hunger Games

Aaminah’s Ranking – 2
As an introduction to the franchise, this was a fitting beginning. The Hunger Games blends the frantic energy within the arena and the high-stakes involved in trying to survive with the social commentary. Embedding us deep into District 12 and introducing us to the richer districts, the careers and the Capitol, it replicates the themes of the series well. In particular, the scenes with Caesar Flickerman and the Capitol’s reception to Peeta and Katniss demonstrated how war has become sensationalised and as another entertainment feature. Lawrence’s Katniss is the standout of the film. Katniss is not a hero, she is not perfect. Far from it. She captures Katniss’s characterisation in the novels well – her protectiveness of Prim shines through when she desperately volunteers for the games and her skepticism of Peeta mirrors her internal unreliable monologue in the film. She is ever-present in all but a few frames and has a huge task to lead the film, but presents Katniss as someone who is traumatised, filled with anger and scared which made 11-year-old me feel so deeply for her.

Juliette’s Ranking – 1
At just twenty one years of age, Lawrence was suddenly the talk of the town when she hit our screens back in 2012, perfectly portraying Suzanne Collins’ feisty, bow-wielding heroine Katniss Everdeen at the height of YA dystopia. There is no doubt that Lawrence makes this first instalment, but this is not to say that any other part of The Hunger Games falls short. Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz and the late, great Donald Sutherland are all magnetic in their roles, embodying and even enhancing their characters, weaving one scene at a time a story world that feels so real it is almost palpable. Philip Messina’s production design is faultless, from the clinical look of the Capitol through to the gritty landscapes of District 12 and the arena. In his sole Hunger Games credit, Tom Stern excels as the cinematographer of the first film, particularly in the rushed, claustrophobic opening of the Games. Still significant fourteen years on, The Hunger Games is one of those films where performance, image and atmosphere all unite harmoniously to create a nightmare of a story – in other words, a perfect film.

Catching Fire

Aaminah’s Ranking – 1
I maintain that Catching Fire is the some of the best use of IMAX technology in film. The transition between the glass elevator and Katniss’s first look at the arena matches her experience to the viewers. The games have truly begun. Catching Fire is my favourite film, because of the use of IMAX and technical performances. Lawrence’s ability to age and mature Katniss through her battle with PTSD and the pressure of becoming the figure of a burgeoning revolution is executed effortlessly. Donald Sutherland‘s increased role adds another layer to the fear, most notably the look of disapproval. His disbelief in the star-crossed lover’s story sets the tone for the whole film. Victory will not guarantee their safety and it is a game they are expected to play for the rest of their lives. We are also introduced to a supporting case filled with memorable performances. Sam Claflin’s Finnick is charming but deeply tortured by his exploitation from the Capitol, Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Plutarch Heavensbee is an understated performance but it sets him up for the crucial role to play later in the franchise alongside Jena Malone’s Johanna Mason who has a memorable scene stripping down.

Juliette’s Ranking – 2
Just inches behind The Hunger Games is its immediate successor, Catching Fire, which sees Katniss and Peeta once again enter the arena for the third Quarter Quell. This marks the first semblance of revolution in the franchise, as the carnivorous President Snow watches over Katniss’ every move during her Victors Tour. There is a whole new life to face, and a whole new set of adversaries, each more dangerous than the next (in and out of the arena). New additions such as Beetee (Jeffrey Wright), Finnick and Plutarch Heavensbee give Catching Fire a fresh energy, while the threat to Peeta and her family force Katniss to deal with higher stakes. As a standalone film, this may very well be the strongest in style and atmosphere – the actors are by now in full stride and comfortable with their characters (Harrelson and Banks notably add that extra tonal shift into humour at the most agreeable of times), and the set design and costumes take it up a notch as Katniss and Peeta enter the arena that is the Capitol. Yet, it just misses out on the top spot, perhaps because its stylishness, for a fleeting second, loses the grittiness of the core plotline.

Mockingjay: Part 1

Aaminah’s Ranking – 5
This one is lowest on my ranking, because it is the weakest in the trilogy. as it stretches the book into two needlessly long parts. It is hard to follow a film which does not follow the conventional structure of a film, where is lacks the tradition beginning, middle and climax (though the ending is well done). As someone who loves political films, it felt like a way to communicate the political ideals and themes of propaganda in an accessible way which is very on the nose and obvious. A huge theme of Mockingjay is the declining mental health and trauma of our rescued victors and those held hostage and there are devastating moments (the final scene with Peeta) which make this film one I love but not as much as the others. I also wanted to see more from Tigris and was sad she was sidelined, especially as Hunter Schafer did excellent work in The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes.

Juliette’s Ranking – 4
At number four comes the slightly bumpier, more tired Mockingjay: Part 1, the “introduction” into District 13 and its inhabitants and Katniss’ first brush with the trials of becoming the face of the revolution before the denouement of the finale. Halving the third book was almost always going to be a necessity – the intricacies of its political and social elements would have been too rushed for a sole film – and yet there is always the sense that there isn’t quite enough material to keep the momentum going for two. There are a lot of hushed conversations in the underground bunker of District 13 as Katniss is brought up to speed on President Alma Coin’s (a sinister Julianne Moore) plan, and a sense of tiredness, of grey – both in colour and tone – that leaves one, funnily, longing for the glamour of the Capitol. Certain characters feel underutilised – Prim (Willow Shields) most notably – while uprisings happening on the more macro level draw us away from the heart of the narrative. At times, it has too many moving parts, at others the script seems to lose its way. Lawrence and co are on top form as usual, never missing a beat, and there isn’t a moment wasted – yet Part 1 will always indelibly be the “set up” to the finale and thus, despite having no major faults, be one of the weakest instalments.

Mockingjay: Part 2

Aaminah’s Ranking – 4
Ending a franchise as iconic as The Hunger Games is no small feat, but Mockingjay: Part 2 was able to shift pace from the slowness of Part 1 and deliver an action-packed film which had you anticipating the very next scene and terrified at some of the horrific elements (dare I mention Finnick’s death?). Mockingjay: Part 2 does not rely just on the adrenaline with its high-stakes, it focuses on the personal costs of war and is a well-made ending, because victory comes with a price. The critique of the novels in dissecting systems go power and the pervasive nature of corruption is replicated well, specifically through Moore’s Coin who is ruthless. Coin and Snow are two sides of the same coin (pun unintended), and Katniss’s refusal to shoot Snow and instead shoot Coin breaks this cycle of corruption, tyranny and the abuse of power that has long plagued Panem. The beauty of the film is the ending, there is no glamour to it. Katniss ends up living a quiet life with a man who she grew to love with children, something she could not envision under Snow’s regime.

Juliette’s Ranking – 3
The final instalment of the original franchise (that is, pre-prequels) comes in at number three with a solid conclusion to the Everdeen arc and a set of booby traps that revamp the qualities of the arena without any actual Games taking place. In Part 2, Katniss continues her quest to free Panem – with the same reluctance to be the face of the revolution as in Part 1 – meaning she must navigate her way to the centre of the Capitol, her propaganda team in tow to capture the Mockingjay in action. It makes for incredibly tense cinema, especially as the not-yet-recovered Peeta, brainwashed into killing her, has also been taken along for the ride. Trust is an incredibly powerful theme here, as Katniss (who is, we forget, still only a teenager) navigates the politics, backstabbings and ulterior motives of those adults who lust for power. The plot is as transparent as can be in this indirect coming-of-age, masterfully crafted by regular director Francis Lawrence – the costume fittings, shootings and mutants all cleverly repurpose the Capitol’s treachery into a real world situation, in this sense adopting a fresh quality all while tapping into the nostalgia of the first film.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Aaminah’s Ranking – 3
Origin stories can be hit or miss, but The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a faithful adaptation of the novel and presents a different side to Snow. It would be too easy to present his evil and villainous tendencies as innate, but the film is able to balance the portrayal of him as a famished and poor teenager (compared to his peers), highlight the difficulties faced during the post-war period and depicts his rise gradually. Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler are well-matched scene partners. As Snow, Blyth took inspiration from Donald Sutherland’s performance such as the cadence of his speech as the film progresses and the change in his voice when he returns from his Peacekeeper stint in District 12. Rachel Zegler is magnetic as Lucy Gray and the decision to sing live brings an energy to those scenes which made me sit up! Her theatricality also brought out Lucy Gray’s charisma, how vibrant and beautiful she felt as a person and you could understand the pull she had over the Capitol and over Snow.

Juliette’s Ranking – 5
This 2023 prequel comes in last despite an excellent performance from Blyth as the lead Coriolanus Snow, the villain origin story set in his eighteenth year and during the tenth annual Hunger Games. This is an irresistible entry in the franchise for fans, who are numerous to wish for Collins to cover all seventy five Games (particularly those of Finnick and Johanna Mason, played by the fantastic Jena Malone). Yet, this is precisely its downfall – while the book offered a harrowing, yet tempered and believable insight into what made Snow “Snow”, the film seems to latch onto the fandom easter eggs and strip it almost entirely of its substance. Collins is incredible at weaving this love story gone wrong between Snow and his protégée, the District 12 girl Lucy Gray Baird who was to cement his fate as a ruthless, tyrannical leader. The adaptation however rushes their relationship and destroys any nuance present in either of their characters (though Blyth’s facial expressions are able to partially rescue this) – though a wonderful actress and singer, Zegler is miscast as the Covey Lucy Gray, and the script at times greatly falters, making for an uncomfortable scene or two. It’s certainly entertaining – Jason Schwartzman as Caesar Flickerman predecessor Lucky particularly serves as a dark reminder of the early days of the Games, televised but not yet glitzed. Similarly, the derelict appearance of the arena, so devoid of artifice in its tenth year, is enough to make one queasy – but sadly, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is, just like its games, too rushed and stripped bare to have any lasting impact.