---
title: "The Hunger Games: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games"
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 19
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 (2012): what the critics said

Critics' score 72 from 19 reviews: 13 positive, 5 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics come away satisfied, and nearly all of them, positive or not, land on the same virtue: Jennifer Lawrence, whose Katniss is described again and again as the film’s anchor. Beyond her, the praise gathers around the design of Panem and its divided districts, the staging of the televised games, and Gary Ross’s handheld, unshowy direction, which several reviews credit with making a faithful adaptation work as a film rather than a transcript.

The reservations gather around the certificate. Several critics feel the violence has been softened for a young audience, blunting the story’s brutality; The New York Times finds Ross’s genial style at odds with the material. Others think the film sticks so closely to the novel that it leaves no room for its world, and that the first hour drags. The spread is narrow, with one outright dissent from Eye for Film, which finds it flat and unconvincing throughout.

## Empire — Olly Richards

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 March 2012. 

The adaptation succeeds as a film in its own right rather than just a book transfer, with an intelligent and immersive take on the story. Jennifer Lawrence is perfect as Katniss and the handling of violence and themes is smart and effective.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hunger-games-review/)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 4/5. 

An impressive action thriller that faithfully adapts the book, keeping sci-fi themes vivid and relevant with jittery camerawork and thrilling action despite derivative elements. Lawrence's magnetic performance is bolstered by strong supporting turns and inspired dystopian design.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-u6lwqm/the-hunger-games/)

## Slant Magazine — Richard Scott Larson

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 March 2012. 

The review praises how the film succeeds by evoking the experience of watching reality television while allowing viewers to feel smart about the underlying rebellion. It singles out the immersive yet critically distanced portrayal of the televised games and Katniss’s calculated performance.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/reality-hunger-gary-rosss-the-hunger-games/)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 March 2012. 

The critic finds The Hunger Games an enjoyable futurist adventure with a tang of satire that outruns Twilight comparisons. He singles out the beady-eyed intensity of the presentation and Jennifer Lawrence's performance for praise while noting concerns about future sequels diluting the impact.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/mar/22/the-hunger-games-review)

## Total Film — Matthew Leyland

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2012. 

It is a faithful adaptation that gets the spirit right, with strong performances especially from Jennifer Lawrence and solid handling of action and emotion. The film avoids cheese and offers fresh survival-as-sport entertainment.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-hunger-games-review/)

## The New Yorker — Richard Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 21 March 2012. 

Gary Ross employs an impressionistic handheld style that creates intimacy and visual energy, turning the film into a distinctive cinematic experience rather than a straightforward adaptation. The first half excels as a sociological portrait of Panem's divided society.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/keeping-the-hunger-games-kid-stuff)

## The AV Club — Scott Tobias

Rating B. 22 March 2012. 

Scott Tobias finds it a skillful abridgment that delivers the franchise more effectively than the first Harry Potter but lacks imagination beyond fidelity to the source. He singles out the sturdy professionalism in the early setup scenes and the suspenseful, dread-soaked games sequences.

[Read the review](http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-hunger-games,71293/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 77/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 2012. 

Todd McCarthy calls it an amply faithful adaptation of the best-seller that satisfies its legions of fans but feels slightly shortchanged on visual spectacle and intensity due to PG-13 constraints. He singles out Jennifer Lawrence’s stellar performance with impressive gravity and presence as the film’s anchor.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/hunger-games-film-review-300825/)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2012. 

The adaptation ambitiously blends dystopian sci-fi, action-thriller, teen romance and social commentary, mostly succeeding thanks to Jennifer Lawrence's strong central performance. It struggles to integrate its different tones and agendas into a wholly original vision.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-hunger-games/5039350.article)

## Variety — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 67/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2012. 

The proficient and faithful adaptation centers on Jennifer Lawrence's strong performance but lacks artistic risk or creative spark, settling for a watchable but safe PG-13 spectacle. The film irons out the source's edges, blunting its violence and emotional impact.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/the-hunger-games-1117947254/)

## Sight and Sound — Anton Bitel

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 22 March 2012. 

The film compromises by building around spectacle but sanitising the violence for a young audience, resulting in a triumph of restraint that lets viewers off the hook morally. Jennifer Lawrence brings intense conviction to Katniss, though changes soften the character's complexity.

[Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/reviews/releases/hunger-games.php)

## The Independent

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2012. 

The central premise is potent but the film lacks the spirit of Battle Royale. It features a strong performance from Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, though the first hour drags before becoming an action film.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-hunger-games-12-gary-ross-dvd-bluray-8095833.html)

## Time Out — Tom Huddleston

Rating 3/5. 20 March 2012. 

An absorbing but cluttered adaptation that sticks too closely to the novel's details, leaving insufficient time to explore the world or characters fully. It remains gripping and impressively mounted with strong action sequences and a fine lead performance from Jennifer Lawrence.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-hunger-games)

## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 59/100 (inferred from the text). 22 March 2012. 

The film is a dutiful but overly smoothed adaptation that fails to fully capture the raw intensity of its source material or heroine. Director Gary Ross's genial style undercuts the story's brutality, though Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss remains compelling.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/movies/the-hunger-games-movie-adapts-the-suzanne-collins-novel.html)

## Den of Geek — Sarah Dobbs

Rating 4/5. 15 March 2012. 

The film is a strong sci-fi movie, a strong teen film, and a strong piece of blockbuster entertainment that succeeds against the odds of adapting a popular book series. The critic singles out the world-building and the way the film opens up the story's political themes beyond the book's first-person perspective for particular praise.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-hunger-games-review/)

## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds

Rating 4/5. 19 March 2012. 

The adaptation translates the book's prescient story into a compelling and richly textured popcorn movie that is enthralling from beginning to end with depth and intelligence. The critic singles out Jennifer Lawrence's central performance as the beating heart of the tale for particular praise.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a372023/the-hunger-games-review/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B. 22 March 2012. 

The critic finds the film an effective and memorable adaptation that is entertaining without typical blockbuster bombast, thanks to Gary Ross's subdued direction and strong performances, especially from Stanley Tucci and Josh Hutcherson. It is somewhat slavish to the book's weaker elements like the anti-climactic ending and lightweight social commentary.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-hunger-games-review/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 77/100 (inferred from the text). 20 March 2012. 

The film is a compelling but implausible popcorn movie that succeeds through verve and relentless forward motion despite borrowing heavily from other works. It singles out Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal of Katniss for conveying determination and making her a compelling female lead, along with strong cinematography distinguishing the districts and capitol.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/hunger-games-review-compelling-implausible-american-idol-body-count-36390/)

## Eye for Film — Stephen Carty

Rating 1.5/5. 21 March 2012. 

The film is a flat, unremarkable adaptation that fails to feel convincing or tense despite its premise. It offers only surface-level satire and lacks excitement or memorability in its direction and execution.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-hunger-games-film-review-by-stephen-carty)

---
© 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.md