The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games
Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.
RipLinesMan reviewedApril 29, 2025
While Event Horizon (1997) dives into the chilling unknowns of deep space with Laurence Fishburne's no-nonsense Captain Miller and Sam Neill’s increasingly deranged Dr. Weir, Hunger Games grounds its dystopia in a brutal yet personal battle for survival, led by Jennifer Lawrence’s resilient Katniss Everdeen. Both films explore themes of sacrifice, trauma, and humanity pushed to its limits—but in very different arenas: one aboard a haunted starship, the other in a deadly televised arena.
Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss brings emotional weight and moral depth, similar to Fishburne’s stoic leadership under cosmic duress. While Event Horizon leans into psychological horror and sci-fi suspense, The Hunger Games, directed by Gary Ross, builds tension through its societal commentary and the intimate bonds between characters, such as Katniss and her sister Prim, or her complex dynamic with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).
Though they differ in tone—space horror versus YA dystopia—the two films both linger with the viewer. The Hunger Games earns four stars for its compelling performances, especially from Lawrence and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, and its successful adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ source material. It's not as terrifyingly bleak as Event Horizon, but it’s just as haunting in its own grounded way.