- Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.
- In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives.—Suzanne Collins
- Set in a future North America known as "Panem", the Capitol selects a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each of the twelve outlying districts to compete in the annual "Hunger Games", a televised fight-to-the-death. The film is centered around Katniss Everdeen - a 16-year-old girl from District 12, who volunteers for her 12-year-old sister, Prim, when Prim's name is chosen - and Katniss's fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta Mellark, with whom she has some rather dramatic history. Katniss is then rushed to the Capitol, where she undergoes intense training before being thrust into the arena to fight to become the victor of the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games.—fallgeek
- In order to control future rebellions by remembering the past rebellion, the Powers That Be of the dystopian society of Panem force two youngsters from each of the twelve districts to participate in The Hunger Games. The rules are very simple: the twenty-four players must kill each other and survive in the wilderness until only one remains. The games are broadcast through the Capital and the twelve districts to entertain and intimidate the population. In District 12, teenager Katniss Everdeen is a great hunter and archer. When her younger sister, Primrose Everdeen, is selected as one of the "tributes" of their district, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the games. Together with Peeta Mellark, they head by train to the Capital to be prepared for the brutal game.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- The nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts, ruled from the Capitol. As punishment for a failed revolt, each district is forced to select two tributes, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games until there is only one survivor.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen of District 12 volunteers to take her younger sister Primrose's place in the 74th Hunger Games. She and fellow tribute Peeta Mellark are escorted to the Capitol by their chaperone Effie Trinket and mentor Haymitch Abernathy, the Games' only living winner from District 12. Haymitch stresses the importance of gaining sponsors, as they can provide potentially life-saving gifts during the Games. While training, Katniss observes the "Careers" (Marvel, Glimmer, Cato, and Clove), volunteers from the wealthy Districts 1 and 2 who have trained for the Games from an early age. During a televised interview with Caesar Flickerman, Peeta expresses his love for Katniss, which she initially sees as an attempt to attract sponsors; she later learns his admission is genuine.
At the start of the Games, Katniss grabs some of the supplies placed around the Cornucopia, a structure at the starting point, and narrowly escapes death. Half of the 24 tributes die in the initial melee, and only 11, including all four Careers, survive the first day. Katniss tries to stay away from the others, but Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker, triggers a forest fire to drive her towards them. She runs into the Careers, with whom Peeta has seemingly allied, and flees up a tree. Peeta advises the Careers to wait her out. The next morning, Katniss notices Rue, District 11's young female tribute, hiding in an adjacent tree. Rue draws her attention to a nest of genetically modified venomous wasps. Using a knife, Katniss causes the nest to fall on the Careers sleeping below; Glimmer dies, but the others escape. Katniss becomes disoriented from being stung a few times. Peeta returns and tells her to flee.
Rue helps Katniss recover, and they become friends and allies. Katniss destroys the supplies the Careers stockpiled by detonating mines guarding them, while Rue provides a distraction. Katniss later finds and frees Rue from a trap, but Marvel throws a spear which impales Rue. Katniss kills him with an arrow. She comforts Rue by singing to her and, after she dies, adorns her body with flowers, triggering a riot in District 11. President Coriolanus Snow warns Crane about the unrest.
Haymitch persuades Crane to change the rules to allow two winners provided they are from the same district, suggesting that this will pacify the public. After the announcement, Katniss finds a gravely wounded Peeta. Another announcement promises that what each survivor needs the most will be provided at the Cornucopia the next morning. Despite Peeta's vehement opposition, Katniss leaves to get medicine for him, but she is ambushed and overpowered by Clove, who gloats about Rue's death and prepares to dispatch her. Thresh, District 11's male tribute, overhears and kills Clove. He spares Katniss once, for Rue's sake. The medicine heals Peeta overnight.
While hunting for food, Katniss hears a cannon go off, signaling a death. She races to Peeta, who has unwittingly collected deadly nightlock berries. They discover "Foxface", District 5's female tribute, poisoned by the nightlock she collected after watching Peeta. Crane then unleashes genetically modified beasts that kill Thresh and force Katniss, Peeta, and Cato - the last three survivors - to climb onto the Cornucopia's roof. Cato gets Peeta in a headlock and uses him as a human shield against Katniss's bow. Peeta directs Katniss to shoot Cato's hand, enabling Peeta to throw him to the beasts below. Katniss kills him with an arrow to end his suffering.
Crane then revokes the rule change allowing two victors to win. Peeta urges Katniss to shoot him, but she convinces him to eat nightlock together. Just before they do, Crane hastily declares them co-victors. Afterward, Haymitch warns Katniss that she has made enemies through these acts of defiance. Snow has Crane locked in a room with nightlock berries.
Haymitch tells Katniss during her final interview with Caesar she must profess her love for Peeta so that she seen as a girl who acted out for love instead of starting a rebellion. Afterwards President Snow crowns both of them victors of the 74th Hunger Games and later return home as heroes.
Later on Snow watches both Katniss and Peeta as they are being cheered on in their district. Visibly contemplating their fate, Snow turns his back and leaves the Game Control Center...
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content