I Love The Hunger Games
Specifically, over the past month or two I have been OBSESSED with interacting with everything Hunger Games related movies, edits, soundtracks, trailers, etc.
I first watched the first Hunger Games movie when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. Now granted this was probably way too young to be watching this type of movie, but let me just preface. This was our last resort movie. The original plan was to go watch Frozen, but the screening was cancelled TWICE and the only movie we could make was the first Hunger Games movie.
Fast forward 10 years and this dystopian world has silently played such a large part in my life. These movies helped me appreciate the small things like sleeping with the windows open, listening to the birds and watching the sunsets.
I also can’t emphasize how important it is to watch the movies again. I HATE rewatching movies, but once in a while I will make an exception if it's been a couple of years. The first time you watch a movie you are missing parallels, foreshadowing and references to the books (if you didn’t read it). Additionally, the mindset I was watching these movies at 12 years old is significantly different than that of a 21-year-old me rewatching the movies.
The only things I can recall feeling during my first watch 10 years ago was loving Peeta and hating Gale. Now don’t get me wrong that is still very much the case, but after rewatching and reading the books, I understand why. I’ve spent countless nights reading over reddit threads and TikTok comments and this is what I have gathered.
We hate Gale because:
He didn’t volunteer in place of Peeta. Over the 4 movies he talks about how he should have volunteered in his place but HE DIDN’T. Maybe he was scared but his name was already in the bowl 42 times - he was prepared to be reaped but never volunteered.
He asks Katniss how she feels about him, repeatedly. Katniss hadn’t just survived the 74th Hunger Games but she got Peeta out with her, which was unheard of. Immediately after Gale is asking if Katniss loves him and she explains multiple times she can’t think about that because SHE JUST SURVIVED THE GAMES.
He killed Prim. Now there is a lot of discussion that Prim’s death should not fall completely on Gale because he was being used by Coin, but so was everyone else. President Snow and Coin both used Katniss and various other victors and that never led them to taking innocent lives. He didn’t know Prim would be there, but he knew capital citizens would be.
We love Peeta because:
He has loved her since the beginning. This isn’t demonstrated in the movies, but in the books he talks about how he had always watched her for afar. He talked about how he loved hearing her sing and how she would always volunteer to lead the class.
His reaction to the 75th reaping. In Hunger Games: Catching Fire his face drops when President Snow announces the “special games”. The discussion among fans is that his reaction wasn’t about his situation, it was him realizing that Katniss would have to go back into the games. She had just defied the Capital and gotten him out alive just to be sent right back in the following year.
He volunteered with one foot. Again, this detail was not explained in the movie, but Peeta lost his foot at the end of the 74th games. After leaving the arena it was replaced with a mechanical prosthetic, but he struggled with movement and balance. So, even though he was now disabled he still volunteered to take Haymitch’s place in the 75th hunger games.
Now I have so much more to discuss about the well written universe but it will have to be another time.
But again go rewatch the Hunger Games movies and read the books if you have time. A new movie about Haymitch’s games is coming out November 20, 2026!!
Bye:)
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