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The Hunger Games

Play trailer Poster for The Hunger Games PG-13 Released Mar 23, 2012 2h 22m Sci-Fi Action Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 314 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
In what was once North America, the Capitol of Panem maintains its hold on its 12 districts by forcing them each to select a boy and a girl, called Tributes, to compete in a nationally televised event called the Hunger Games. Every citizen must watch as the youths fight to the death until only one remains. District 12 Tribute Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has little to rely on, other than her hunting skills and sharp instincts, in an arena where she must weigh survival against love.
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The Hunger Games

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Critics Consensus

Thrilling and superbly acted, The Hunger Games captures the dramatic violence, raw emotion, and ambitious scope of its source novel.

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Critics Reviews

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Julie and Brandy Autostraddle [Rue's] presence gave the heart to the whole movie. Aug 31, 2021 Full Review J. Hoberman ARTINFO.com The Hunger Games is undeniably progressive in making its protagonist so plucky, independent, and self-actualizing a young woman. Feb 25, 2019 Full Review David Thomson The New Republic The film shows precious little hunger and no sense of game. Jun 17, 2013 Full Review Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Collins' involvement enables the movie to retain the themes and tone of the novel while still delivering an exciting and interesting drama/thriller that works on the big screen. For those who don't know the Rated: 3/5 Oct 18, 2024 Full Review Iván Kazi EscribiendoCine The Hunger Games is insipid. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 4/10 Jun 14, 2023 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand I confess that for all my issues with the film (and there are many), I more impressed at how much it got right. Mar 4, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jadan S While it does leave out some key details from the original novel that I would have loved to have seen on the big screen, the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games is absolutely a solid film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/08/25 Full Review . It was amazing! The theater was great, the screen quality and audio was great. I loved seeing this in a theater! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/25 Full Review Coc A 6/10 Mixed bag. It's decent, but it's nowhere near the top. I think Rue was the film's biggest wasted potential. We finally get introduced to her after getting a teaser twice, but we don't really know her story or her background as they never told it to us, and then she gets killed 11 minutes after her introduction. I certainly would've cared for her more if she gets more screentime or if her character's fleshed out with some good dialogue. In the end, her death was a bit sad, but the way they handled her left a lot to be desired. I can say the same thing about Cinna and Haymitch: they're not deep enough as side characters. I know what they're like, but I don't know why they're like that. They're motivations for helping Katniss and Peeta aren't as clear as I would've liked. Haymitch is charming, but I don't know why he changes from a very reluctant mentor to a caring one. Peeta and Katniss' romance felt a bit too forced. Seeing their chemistry more would've helped a lot. The movie's plot has its tense moments, but it also suffers from a lack of escalation. Cato just appears out of nowhere during the final battle which says a lot about his performance as a villain. The situation for the main character doesn't really get more dire as the movie goes on, which reduces the story's stakes. In conclusion, while I think this movie is pretty good, I think it's also underwhelming. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/26/25 Full Review Patrick G. 8.4/10 Classic one fs not sure why catching fire is rated higher tho.. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/22/25 Full Review André C A great start for this franchise. But it's noticeable a new director was needed. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/16/25 Full Review Yonassan G Well directed and follows the book very well. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/16/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Hunger Games

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Movie Info

Synopsis In what was once North America, the Capitol of Panem maintains its hold on its 12 districts by forcing them each to select a boy and a girl, called Tributes, to compete in a nationally televised event called the Hunger Games. Every citizen must watch as the youths fight to the death until only one remains. District 12 Tribute Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has little to rely on, other than her hunting skills and sharp instincts, in an arena where she must weigh survival against love.
Director
Gary Ross
Producer
Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik
Screenwriter
Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Color Force, Lionsgate
Rating
PG-13 (Disturbing Images|All Involving Teens|Intense Violent Thematic Mat.)
Genre
Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 23, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 9, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$408.0M
Runtime
2h 22m
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