The Hunger Games (2012)
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In a dystopian nation, two teenagers are forced to compete in a televised fight to the death as part of a brutal annual punishment.
The story
In the dystopian, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, the capital city rules over twelve districts. As punishment for a failed rebellion decades earlier, each district must provide two adolescent tributes to participate in the Hunger Games—a televised fight to the death where only one survivor remains. When Katniss Everdeen's younger sister is selected, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Alongside Peeta Mellark, she is whisked away to the Capitol. They must navigate the complexities of the arena, the influence of their mentor Haymitch Abernathy, and the growing public scrutiny of their survival as they fight to stay alive in a spectacle watched by the entire nation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the nation of Panem, the Capitol punishes the twelve districts by forcing two children from each to fight in the Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen volunteers to save her sister, Primrose, and is sent to the Capitol with Peeta Mellark. During a televised interview, Peeta declares his love for Katniss. The Games begin with a deadly scramble for supplies at the Cornucopia; Katniss flees into the woods while others, including the 'career' tributes, hunt her. She forms a bond with the girl from District 11, Rue, and later protects a wounded Peeta in a cave. After a series of deaths and a rule change allowing two victors from the same district, Katniss and Peeta are forced to choose between killing each other or both consuming poisonous nightlock berries. They choose the berries, and as they are about to die, they are declared co-victors. They return to District 12, having made powerful enemies in the Capitol, specifically President Coriolanus Snow.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 142
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gary Ross
- Writers
- Gary Ross · screenplay; Suzanne Collins · screenplay; Billy Ray · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jennifer Lawrence · Katniss Everdeen; Josh Hutcherson · Peeta Mellark; Liam Hemsworth · Gale; Woody Harrelson · Haymitch Abernathy; Elizabeth Banks; Lenny Kravitz · Cinna; Stanley Tucci · Caesar Flickerman; Donald Sutherland · Coriolanus Snow
- Genres
- dystopian; science fiction; action; drama
- Themes
- inequality; class divide; authoritarianism; gender roles; media manipulation
- Tone and mood
- dark; serious; tense
- Setting
- The dystopian, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, specifically the Capitol and the arena.
- Premise and plot tags
- survival; dystopia; action
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins
- Franchise connections
- The Hunger Games
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praising its themes, Jennifer Lawrence's performance, and faithfulness to the source material, while some criticized the use of shaky cam and editing.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Grammy Award · Best Original Song · won; Golden Globe Award · Best Original Song · nominated; People's Choice Awards · Favorite Movie · won; Kids' Choice Awards · Favorite Movie · won; MTV Movie Award · Best Male Performance · won; Teen Choice Award · Choice Movie Actor – Sci-Fi/Fantasy · won; Do Something! Awards · Best Male Movie Star · won; MTV Movie Award · Best On-Screen Transformation · won
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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