When it comes to Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games movies, I’ve always tried to read the source material before seeing the movie, and from that perspective I have to say, reading the Hunger Games finale really messed my up. In stark contrast to the last Twilight book, Breaking Dawn, and its almost ridiculously sweet happy ending, Mockingjay doesn’t just end on a down note, it ends on a devastating note.

But that will hit at the end of Mockingjay – Part 2, or at least I hope it will. In the meantime, I think Mockingjay – Part 1 is an interesting and compelling film in its own right that deals with very adult themes of violence, freedom, sacrifice, and, more specifically, the fog of war and the manipulation of symbols to inspire the population to fight. Structurally, unlike a lot of final movie in two parts, it felt like a complete film, a complete story, and it definitely leaves you wanting more. Sadly though, that won’t be until November 2015.

Read my review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 here.