First reactions to “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” landed after its red carpet premiere in London on Wednesday, and several critics called it the strongest film in the franchise so far. The prequel stars Joseph Zada as a young Haymitch Abernathy, the champion of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Quarter Quell.
Zada drew the loudest praise of the night. Nerds of Color author Nikita Francois called the film “easily the best film in the Hunger Games franchise” and described Zada as electrifying as Haymitch. Collider critic Perri Nemiroff said the film pairs stunning craftsmanship with a phenomenal cast and an exhilarating narrative, and said Zada captures Haymitch’s warmth and charm before weaving in the rage and heartbreak the Games spark.
Critic Griffin Schiller dubbed it the “Rogue One/Andor of the franchise”, calling it a sobering, powerful story of devastating loss and the necessary cost of rebellion. Next Best Picture editor Matt Neglia said the film features some of the best casting of the year, singling out Glenn Close as a scene stealer.
The film is the sixth in the series and the second prequel after 2023’s “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”. Francis Lawrence directed it from Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel, which follows Haymitch through a Games edition with twice the usual number of tributes. Lionsgate opens the film in theaters on Nov. 20.
Source: TheWrap
