The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

The sequel to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014), it is the fourth installment in The Hunger Games film series. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and in his final film, Philip Seymour Hoffman.

In the film, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) leads a team of rebels to Panem to liberate it from the tyrannical leadership of Coriolanus Snow (Sutherland). This marks Hoffman’s final film appearance prior to his death.

Together with its predecessor, principal photography began in September 2013 and lasted until June 2014, taking place back-to-back, with filming locations including Boston, Atlanta, Paris, Berlin, and Los Angeles. Hoffman, who died in February 2014, completed the majority of his scenes, although his death caused others to be rewritten.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 premiered at the Sony Center in Berlin on November 4, 2015, and was released in the United States on November 20, by Lionsgate, in 2D, 3D, and IMAX. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its performances (particularly Lawrence, Hutcherson and Sutherland’s),

Screenplay, music, and action sequences; it was deemed a fitting end to the series, although some were divided on the decision to split the novel into two films. It grossed over $653 million, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2015.

Among its accolades, the film was nominated for Best Fantasy Film at the 42nd Saturn Awards. It received three nominations at the 21st Empire Awards for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Best Actress (Lawrence) and Best Production Design, while Lawrence was nominated for Best Actress in an Action Movie at the 21st Critics’ Choice Awards.

A prequel film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, was released on November 17, 2023.

President Alma Coin refuses to let Katniss go to the Capitol until they first secure District 2, the last district under Capitol control. Katniss is sent to join the assault on the Capitol’s armory in District 2, hoping to rally the rebels and convince District 2 to join their cause.

Johanna covers for Katniss while she sneaks on board a helicopter on its way to the Capitol. Katniss is recruited into the Star Squad, a specialized military unit which includes Gale and Finnick. They are given suicide pills in the case of capture.

Peeta, though still not fully recovered, later joins the team to appear in propaganda videos shot amidst the city’s ruins. Under the leadership of Boggs, the squad makes its way to the Capitol, avoiding deadly “pods” planted by the Capitol using Boggs’ holographic map.

However, Boggs is mortally wounded by one of the pods and entrusts the map to Katniss while warning her about President Coin’s ulterior motives.

During their journey, the squad becomes trapped by Peacekeepers in a building. Two members, the Leeg sisters, stay behind as a distraction while the rest escape. The Peacekeepers destroy the building, and the Capitol announces Katniss’s death, only to be interrupted by Coin, who delivers a eulogy to inspire the rebels.

The group moves through the sewers beneath the Capitol, but Snow becomes aware of their presence and deploys genetically engineered “mutts” to attack them.

Finnick and others are killed, but Katniss uses the holographic map to trigger an explosion, eliminating the mutts. The survivors take refuge in a house owned by Tigris, a former Hunger Games stylist and Snow’s cousin.

As Snow invites Capitol citizens into his mansion to form a human shield, Katniss and Gale join the crowd in disguise, intending to infiltrate the mansion. Chaos ensues as the rebels finally arrive in the Capitol and engage the Peacekeepers.

Gale is taken away by the Peacekeepers. Bombs are dropped into the crowd, resulting in the death of Katniss’s sister, Prim, and Katniss herself is knocked unconscious.

Katniss awakens, and Haymitch informs her that the rebels have finally won the war. She confronts Snow, who claims Coin staged the bombing to turn his followers against him. When she doesn’t believe him, he reminds Katniss of their promise never to lie to one another.

Katniss realizes that Gale suggested a similar plan and questions him. Gale acknowledges his involvement in Prim’s death and regrets failing to protect her family.

Coin, now the interim President, refuses to hold the promised democratic election and suggests a final, symbolic Hunger Games using Capitol leaders’ children as revenge. Some of the tributes, including Peeta, are outraged, while others support the initiative.

Katniss agrees to the plan but insists on executing Snow herself. At Snow’s execution, as Katniss prepares to shoot Snow, she instead shoots Coin, killing her. Snow laughs before he is lynched by a mob. Katniss then tries to swallow her suicide pill, but Peeta stops her, and she is arrested.

Haymitch brings Katniss a letter from Plutarch, assuring Katniss that she will be pardoned, the Hunger Games will cease to exist, and she will be able to return to District 12.

She returns home, grieving for Prim. Peeta, who has nearly recovered from his conditioning, joins her. They receive a letter from Annie, Finnick’s wife, and learn about the changes in their friends’ lives.

Several years later, Katniss and Peeta are married and have two children. Katniss promises to her youngest child that she will inform them of her story and her time in the Games.