All 5 of The Hunger Games movies ranked from worst to best (including The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes)

2. The Hunger Games

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland

The Hunger Games premiered in theaters in 2012 and introduced the world to Katniss Everdeen, Pita Mellark, Gale Hawthorne, Haymith Abernathy, Effie Trinket, and the rest of these great characters. In the film, Katniss volunteers as tribute for District 12 to the 74th Annual Hunger Games, a nationally televised fight to the death with other kids to maintain order in Panem. Katniss and Peeta survive the battle together as star-crossed lovers and leave the arena as Victors, much to the chagrin of President Snow.

There’s a lot to like about the first Hunger Games movie. The film does an incredible job of world-building and getting viewers invested in Katniss, Peeta, and the rest of the District 12 team. Overall, though, it’s just not quite as exciting as the second movie. It’s not slow or anything, but there are far more charismatic characters and intriguing storylines in the second movie. The first movie was all about staying alive and the pressure and anxiety that came along with that goal as we watched Katniss and Peeta fight to stay alive.

I really liked the first Hunger Games, but it’s still No. 2 behind the sequel, Catching Fire. Let’s get into why Catching Fire is the best of the Hunger Games movie.