If you watched the original Hunger Games films and wondered why Haymitch always looked as though he needed a drink, a nap and several years of therapy. We are about to receive an answer. And judging by the first reactions to The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, it will not be a pleasant one.
The film had an early screening in London this week and received an overwhelmingly positive response. Some critics have already called it the best film in the franchise. Others have compared it to Rogue One and Andor, which usually means we should prepare for rebellion, sacrifice and very few people having a lovely afternoon.
Joseph Zada plays a young Haymitch Abernathy, long before Woody Harrelson’s version began mentoring Katniss and Peeta. The story takes place 24 years before the original Hunger Games and begins on the morning of the 50th Games. Also known as the Second Quarter Quell. This particular celebration required twice as many tributes from each district. Because apparently forcing children to fight to the death was not terrible enough.
Haymitch enters the arena as a teenager from District 12. At this point, he has people he loves, plans for his future and no idea that the Capitol is about to take almost everything from him. Fans already know that he survives. But the truth is, survival has never meant victory in Panem. And for some, it simply means living long enough to remember everyone who did not.
According to TheWrap, early viewers have praised Zada for capturing Haymitch’s warmth, anger and heartbreak considering his particularly difficult job here. He could not simply copy Woody Harrelson’s performance because he had to show us the person Haymitch was before trauma changed him into the man we know. Which you might find to be the most interesting part of this film.
When we first met Haymitch, he was sarcastic, unreliable and usually holding a drink. His behaviour could be funny, especially when he was the only person willing to tell Katniss exactly how bad a situation had become. But beneath all of that sat somebody who had spent decades carrying the memory of his Games.
Sunrise on the Reaping now asks us to watch those memories being created.
The early reactions also praise the wider cast. Ralph Fiennes plays President Snow, while Jesse Plemons takes on the role of Plutarch Heavensbee. Kieran Culkin appears as Caesar Flickerman, with Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket. Mckenna Grace plays Maysilee Donner, while Whitney Peak appears as Lenore Dove.
Francis Lawrence returns to direct after handling every instalment except the first film. And let’s be honest, he knows Panem rather well by now. He is fully aware that the arena needs to feel dangerous, but understands that the real horror comes from what the Capitol does outside of it. The Games have always been entertainment for the people watching from their comfort couches. But for the tributes, they become a machine designed to turn fear, death and grief into a public event. For Haymitch it is about much more than surviving the other contestants. He must survive a system that controls how audiences see him.
We all know that early reaction can differ from full reviews because premiere audiences are often excited, and social-media responses naturally concentrate on the strongest emotions. So let’s wait until the review embargo lifts before declaring this the greatest trip to Panem yet, although the signs do look promising.
The original films showed us what Haymitch became. Sunrise on the Reaping appears ready to show us what it cost him. And I have a feeling we will never look at that drink in his hand quite the same way again.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping arrives in cinemas and IMAX on 20 November.
