--- title: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2" critics_score: 62 critics_reviews: 30 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 62 from 30 reviews: 14 positive, 10 mixed, 6 negative. Most critics come down in favour of this finale, if not by much: fourteen of the thirty reviews are positive, ten mixed and six negative. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance is singled out by almost everyone, with particular credit for the gap she plays between Katniss’s private misery and her public image. The action is the other point of agreement, above all the sequence in the Capitol sewers, and several reviews say the film takes the ethics of war and propaganda more seriously than a blockbuster needs to. The reservations gather around length and shape. The split-book structure, the slow opening and the succession of endings are faulted again and again, and the dour final stretch wears down even sympathetic critics. The spread is wide: The Wrap calls it smart, exciting and heartfelt, while The Hollywood Reporter and the Los Angeles Times find it tedious and anti-climactic, and Eye for Film, alone, blames Lawrence herself. ## Radio Times — Emma Simmonds Rating 4/5. The review gives the finale a positive rating. It singles out Katniss’s determination and the tense action for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-qy2bev/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 4/5. 4 November 2015. The review calls the finale a gritty, somber conclusion rather than a straightforward victory parade. It suggests that this mournful tone suits the action series. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2) ## Total Film — Matt Maytum Rating 4/5. 5 November 2015. Maytum finds the film a satisfying, high-stakes send-off, despite clunky moments and sidelined supporting characters. He especially praises Jennifer Lawrence’s performance and the film’s impressive action set-pieces. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-review/) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2015. The critic finds the final installment the franchise’s most satisfying film. The available text singles out its overall satisfaction, without specifying a particular element. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-review/5096319.article) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2015. Debruge finds the finale a dark, deliberate and satisfying conclusion, though its succession of endings strains patience. He praises Jennifer Lawrence’s subtle performance and the film’s carefully built Capitol siege. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-film-review-1201632920/) ## Empire — Helen O'Hara Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2015. O'Hara finds it a compelling, emotionally weighty finale, though its solemnity and fidelity to the book sometimes bog it down. She particularly praises the tense, inventive action sequences and Jennifer Lawrence's central performance. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-review-2/) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The piece presents the film as a gritty conclusion that avoids an upbeat finish. Its standfirst singles out Jennifer Lawrence’s performance and frames the story around trust. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-the-hunger-games-the-mockingjay-part-2/) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B-. 18 November 2015. Dowd finds the finale bleak and overlong, but says its willingness to confront the ethics of revolution helps redeem its brooding tone. He praises its sharp critique of how both sides manipulate Katniss as a public image. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/mockingjay-part-2-ends-the-hunger-games-series-on-a-pre-1798185708) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2015. Edelstein finds the film a potent, modern antiwar saga, though its conclusion lands with a whimper. He especially praises Jennifer Lawrence’s vivid portrayal of Katniss’s anguished disconnect between her inner self and public heroic image. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/11/review-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2.html) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is blocked, so the review's verdict cannot be assessed. Its specific praise or criticism is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-hunger-games-mockingjay---part-2-2015) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is identified as a review, but its text is unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/20/movies/review-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-katnisss-final-battle.html) ## IndieWire — Nick Schager Rating C+. 18 November 2015. Schager finds the finale visually dull, dramatically inert, and weighed down by muddled plotting. He singles out the subterranean mutant sequence as a thrilling exception, while praising Jennifer Lawrence’s commanding performance. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-starring-jennifer-lawrence-liam-hemsworth-josh-hutchinson-more-104644/) ## Little White Lies — Sophie Monks Kaufman Rating 4/3/2. 9 November 2015. The critic finds the finale flat and underpowered, despite the strength of the earlier world-building. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance and her chemistry with Donald Sutherland are singled out as its chief pleasures. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2) ## The Guardian — Benjamin Lee Rating 3/5. 4 November 2015. Lee finds the finale patchy, with uneven pacing and a rushed, ineffective climax. He praises the gruesome, finely choreographed action and the film’s unusually thoughtful treatment of war’s effects on young people. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/04/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-review-jennifer-lawrence) ## Sight and Sound — Sophie Mayer Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 2015. Mayer finds the film politically sharp but caught in a tension between condemning spectacle and relying on it. She praises Jennifer Lawrence’s expressive performance, while criticizing the idealized closing image as laughable. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Rating 1.5/4. 18 November 2015. Cole finds the film terminally conventional, weighed down by repetitive setup and dialogue that undercuts its action and characters. He singles out Donald Sutherland and Julianne Moore for commanding performances that expose the younger leads’ limited material. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2/) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2015. Sexton finds the sequel overlong and uneven, with too little story to sustain its running time. He praises Jennifer Lawrence’s screen presence, which he says gives the film distinction. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-film-review-jennifer-lawrence-is-clearly-too-good-for-the-film-a3107746.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2015. Turan finds the finale earnest and acceptable but anti-climactic and emotionally static. He praises its briskly executed action set pieces, while faulting the split-book structure for draining the story of energy. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-hunger-games-review-20151119-column.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2015. McCarthy finds the finale overlong and often tedious, though its climax is handled adeptly. He particularly praises Jennifer Lawrence’s performance and the dramatic tension around Coin’s increasingly authoritarian ambitions. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-5-836933/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the finale baffling for newcomers and slow to deliver its thrills. They fault its lax effects but single out Donald Sutherland’s performance as a bright spot. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2015. The critic finds the finale smart, exciting, heartfelt, and among the year’s most satisfying popcorn movies. They praise its trenchant political satire and its ability to balance thrilling action with empathetic characters. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/mockingjay-part-2-review-jennifer-lawrence-hunger-games-josh-hutcherson-liam-hemsworth/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). Pape considers it an intense, worthy conclusion and the franchise’s strongest entry since the first film. He praises Jennifer Lawrence’s nuanced performance, while noting that the ending takes too long to close. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 18 November 2015. Crow finds the finale wholly satisfying, emotionally resonant, and unusually thoughtful for a blockbuster. He especially praises Jennifer Lawrence’s mature performance and the film’s morally ambiguous treatment of war. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/books/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-review/) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2015. The critic calls it a satisfying, emotionally forceful conclusion to the series, despite a slow start and an overlong ending. He especially praises the tense sewer sequence and Jennifer Lawrence’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a772900/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-first-review/) ## Paste — Michael Burgin Rating 6.8. 20 November 2015. Burgin finds the finale largely delivers what audiences expect, while noting that its structure feels ragged without the earlier films’ arena framework. He praises the cast, especially Jennifer Lawrence, as a dependable strength. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-hunger-games/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2) ## Consequence — Leah Pickett Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 2015. Pickett finds the finale morose and gruesome but also weighty, chilling, and sometimes exhilarating. She singles out Jennifer Lawrence’s layered performance for praise, while criticizing the awkward romance and tedious love triangle. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2015/11/film-review-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2015. Hammond finds the finale excessively grim and somewhat overlong, though it should satisfy fans and closes the saga earnestly. He particularly praises Jennifer Lawrence’s mesmerizing presence, which he says helps overcome the story’s flaws. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2015/11/hunger-games-mockingjay-2-review-jennifer-lawrence-finale-1201629165/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls it a strong farewell and an excellent adaptation, though it falls short of the triumphant ending the franchise deserved. They praise its subtle handling of complex themes, while faulting the dour final half hour. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-16323-309166) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2015. The page content is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-starring-jennifer-lawrence-liam-hemsworth-josh-hutchinson-more-20151118/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2015. The critic finds the film absurd, dull, and rushed, with little thrill. They single out the weak performances, especially Jennifer Lawrence’s, as losing badly to the effects. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-2015-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2.md