Sometimes the world is given a sci-fi series that is so good that it kicks off an entire subgenre of its own. This series, both of books and film, was the true trendsetter for dystopian adaptations—and the copycats (that didn’t always hit the mark) followed quickly. Most importantly, it gave us a gritty, dark female-led action franchise aimed at (mostly) younger viewers, something that studios had been afraid to tackle thus far.
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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins took the world by storm, and for good reason. The books were nothing short of incredible, telling a story that YA readers had yet to be given. The story of the districts was dark, it was grim—but there was also hope to be found if you looked hard enough. And then came the movies, bringing to life a reluctant young girl forced into the role of revolutionary on the big screen. Those movies will soon be leaving HBO Max, so now is the time to binge and remind yourself just how damn good they are.
It Really Is Near-Perfect Dyspotia
The Hunger Games is set in Panem, the nation that was once North America. After a violent rebellion was shut down 75 years ago, the Capitol of Panem maintains its power over the rest of the country, or its 12 districts, by forcing them each to select two children, one boy and one girl, to compete in a nationally televised event called the Hunger Games—essentially a live-broadcast child fight to the death that citizens are forced to watch. When her sister’s name is drawn as the District 12 Tribute, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her place, inadvertently kicking off the revolution that has been building beneath the cracking surface of Panem. The film is not a word-for-word adaptation, and it does soften or leave out a few key details from the book, but such beautiful cinematography and ridiculously well-done casting can have audiences forgiving quite a few sins. One critic says, “Jennifer Lawrence is engaging as Katniss; indifferent to the circumstances and determined to survive, you end up admiring her spunk and defiance to The Man.”
Each of the four main films performed well, ratings-wise, and we have even gotten a prequel (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), with another (Sunrise on the Reaping) on the way. The franchise was truly ahead of its time, both as a series of novels and a series of films, and the message feels timeless, even with a delivery that strikes us as outlandish or impossible. The actors shine, the soundtrack is endlessly entertaining, and the entire series is seriously worth a binge.
Did you enjoy The Hunger Games? Let us know in the comments below before you head over to the ComicBook forum to see what other fans of the franchise are saying.
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