Hunger Games movies in order
Four films forward, two prequels back — and the prequels only work if you watch them second.
Updated 4 August 2026 · 6 titles tracked
The original four films are strictly sequential and there is nothing to work out. The question is what to do with the two prequels.
Chronological order puts them first. That is the one thing you should not do, and the reason is structural rather than a matter of taste.
Every Hunger Games film in order
Release order. The two prequels are set 64 and 24 years before Katniss.
- 1The Hunger Games2012 · The Original Films · Essential
- 2The Hunger Games: Catching Fire2013 · The Original Films · Essential
- 3The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 12014 · The Original Films · Essential
- 4The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 22015 · The Original Films · Essential
- 5The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes2023 · The Prequels
- 6The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping2026 · The Prequels
Why the prequels must come second
Both prequels run on dramatic irony — they are built to be watched by someone who already knows how the story ends.
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus Snow. Its entire tension comes from knowing what he becomes: the President Snow of the original films. Watch it first and it is simply a story about an ambitious young man.
Sunrise on the Reaping tells how Haymitch Abernathy won the 50th Games. It only lands if you already know him as the broken, drunk mentor from the first film. Watching it cold removes the whole point.
The order
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, Mockingjay Part 2, then The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping.
In Panem chronology the prequels come first — the 10th Games and the 50th, versus the 74th and 75th for Katniss. Useful to know, not useful to watch that way.
Is the Mockingjay split worth it?
Mockingjay was one book stretched across two films, and Part 1 is noticeably thin as a result — a lot of waiting and propaganda filming. It is not skippable, since Part 2 begins mid-story, but be prepared for the pace to drop.
Catching Fire is the high point of the series and the film most likely to convert a sceptic.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Hunger Games movies?
Release order: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, Mockingjay Part 2, then The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping.
Should I watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes first?
No. It follows a young President Snow, and its tension depends entirely on knowing what he becomes in the original films.
Where does Sunrise on the Reaping fit?
It covers the 50th Hunger Games, twenty-four years before the original film, and tells how Haymitch won. Watch it after the original four.
How many Hunger Games movies are there?
Six — four following Katniss, and two prequels set decades earlier.