The newest addition to the world of The Hunger Games drops tomorrow. It’s a prequel that is meant to fill out the world. For this week’s Binge, I’m looking back at the original franchise. Below is my ranking of the four existing films in ascending order.

No. 4: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 (2015)
About: This was the final film in the original series, the second half of the adaptation of third book. This is a solid film, but the ending was a little bit underwhelming for me from where the series started.

No. 3: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
About: This follow up came a decade ago, which is hard to believe. This is a solid second installment and introduces some interesting new characters and features some interesting new set pieces. It’s a good film and the separation of these is pretty narrow for me from No. 2 to No. 4.

No.  2: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014)
About: This was the beginning of the end. I enjoyed the visual look and the performances here. I thought it really set the table well for the concluding segment and is one of my favorites in the franchise.

No. 1: The Hunger Games (2012)
About: I had never read the books, so I didn’t know what to expect here. This is a difficult concept and it’s certainly a tough film to watch at times. But the first film, moreso than some of the others, really seemed to make a statement about the world. This is actually one of my favorite movies of all time.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.