SPOILERS FOR ALL THE HUNGER GAMES BOOKS/MOVIES
I have been a very avid “Hunger Games” fan since I picked up the first book in my class library in fifth grade. Some may think this was an inappropriate book for a 10-year-old to be reading, but I didn’t, and I don’t care because of the chokehold this series has had on me since that monumental day. After the last “Mockingjay” movie came out in 2015, my obsession has taken a dip. But when the book “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” came out in 2020, I was so excited. However, I hadn’t heard any raving reviews about the book, and then the mess of the next two years came with COVID so the thought of this prequel slipped my mind. Then, the talks of the movie started coming up on my TikTok for you page. This prompted me to purchase the book and carry it all the way to Italy with me this summer. I read this book at the very end of my study abroad journey, and I was on the edge of my seat for months waiting for the movie to come. I was on the beach in Barcelona when I concluded the book, and I distinctly remember being so angry that it was too sunny for me to be able to see my phone so I could watch the trailer. I am a committed anti-spoiler kind of person, so I didn’t even want to see the cast list until after I finished the book.
My hometown friend Hanna Chriss and I went to the “Catching Fire” premiere together in 2013. We wore gold eyeshadow and ashy-colored eyeliner to mimic the iconic chariot entrance of Katniss and Peeta in the movie. Our shirts printed the iconic mockingjay pin in flames, which was the logo of the movie. My mom braided our hair in a side braid just like Katniss and we sported our best brown combat boots as well. One of my mom’s iconic meals was called “Pitas” because the main ingredient in it was pita bread, so of course, this is what she cooked us for dinner that special night. When I went home for Thanksgiving Break this year, Hanna and I got to see the newest movie together in the same theater we saw “Catching Fire,” which brought back so many fun and maybe cringeworthy memories of our obsession.
I have watched the entire series twice this year. There are five movies in total. They are all based on the books with “Mockingjay” split into two movies. Here is my ranking of the best dystopian book and movie series there is.
5. “Mockingjay–Part 2”
After three movies in this series, we wanted something completely outstanding to give it that impactful ending, but unfortunately, this movie did not give me that. There were parts of the plot in the book that did not get the attention they deserved. The entire premise of the series starts with Katniss volunteering for her sister, and then the rest of the books and movies have Katniss building a peaceful and fair world for Prim. So when Prim dies at the hands of Gale, Katniss’s best friend, I think there should have been more screentime dedicated to this. One of my favorite parts of this film is the shock when Katniss turns her arrow off Snow in the finale and kills President Coin instead. This represents her character and what she wants for her world perfectly, and it mirrors the book exactly.
4. “Mockingjay–Part 1”
I just want to point out that I love all these movies immensely, so the “Mockingjay” parts being last does not mean they are bad movies whatsoever. I think one of the reasons both of these films weren’t as popular is because they didn’t follow the same format as the other two movies, and even in the newest installment, there was no Hunger Games. And, as brutal as these games were, they were what drew the audience in. With all this being said, I think this was one of the most emotional movies and some of the most outstanding acting. Katniss suffered from grief, loss, PTSD and so many more complex emotions that I am sure were very hard for Lawrence to execute, but she did this effortlessly. The special effect makeup they used on Peeta to show the torture he went through while being imprisoned in the Capitol really brought the story to life.
3. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”
The soundtrack of this movie is the only thing I’ve been listening to since I saw it. I have watched this film twice in theaters. Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth do such an amazing job taking on the popularity of this franchise and the pressure that comes with it. Prequels have never been my favorite, so I had low expectations for this movie. Still, I think an important aspect of the success of this endeavor was that it was the same director from “Catching Fire” and both “Mockingjay” movies, Francis Lawrence. The reason I ranked this third is that they left out many things from the book that I really wanted to see, but it was just a small takeaway from this breathtaking experience. If you have a phobia of snakes like I do, just maybe stop watching when they lower the tank of rainbow snakes into the arena because it was horrifying.
2. “The Hunger Games”
I put this second because of the iconic and monumentalness of this movie. Can we just take a moment for the casting? This was brilliant, and I could talk for hours just about Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harelson, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth, and the rest of the cast. I could continue, but I don’t think anyone wants me to list the entire cast, even though I think every single one is perfect. The way the directors and screenwriters followed the plot and details of the book so intensely was really fun to watch after reading the book.
1. “Catching Fire”
This is one of the rare book-to-movie adaptions where the movie is better than the book, in my opinion. The set of the arena was perfect and even looked better than what the book described. I loved how they didn’t cue the audience into the secret rebellion that was happening behind Katniss and Peta’s backs. Lawrence and Hutcherson did an excellent job depicting the “fake” romance while also transitioning it to being a real romance. I just need a round of applause for Hutcherson’s delivery of “If it weren’t for the baby” and the sly smirk that followed.
The directors of the movie franchise, as well as Suzanne Collins, the author of the series, deserve all my thank you’s and love you’s. I would not be the person I am without this series. The holes in my childhood bedroom wall will never forget the poster of Katniss holding a bow and arrow that was hung up there for so many years.