Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 is the penultimate and most political installment to date in the four-part adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling dystopian trilogy. Rather than surviving an ultraviolent reality competition, the storyline (which was divisive among readers) is about starting a revolution and taking down the Capitol. While there's much less hand-to-hand fighting -- and no kids killing kids -- the violence can still be intense and upsetting (Katniss spends a big portion of the film crying), with shots of skeletal remains, dead and severely wounded citizens, the execution of traitors to the Capitol, the bombing of District 13, the burning of a makeshift hospital, and more. Fans of the book may remember that although Katniss is preoccupied with Peeta in the first half of Mockingjay, there's little romance except for a brief kiss with Gale and a reunion kiss between two other characters. Even more than the previous films, Mockingjay is full of compelling talking points about media, war, socialism, tyranny, women's roles, and the idea that people need a symbol, to rally around and have faith in during difficult times.
Sexual
Content
Less romance than in previous installments; Katniss kisses Gale once, and Finnick and Annie share a kiss.
Violence
No more Games (which means no kids killing kids), but the violence is still realistic and disturbing: the bones of dead District 12 victims are shown up close; a makeshift hospital burns down; rebel fighters kill armed Peacekeepers and vice versa; dead District 8 residents rot on the floor of a hospital; Peacekeepers execute traitors to the Capitol; the Capitol bombs different Districts. Peeta looks starved and tortured. A character tries to choke Katniss.
Language
Not applicable
Social
Behavior
Many thought-provoking messages/themes about varying styles of government, the importance of symbols to causes and movements, the role of media in unifying people around a cause, and the way love can cloud all other thoughts except the safety of those you hold most dear. May spark conversation on everything from politics to feminism to the use of media and propaganda during times of war.
Consumerism
No product placements in the movie, but distributor Lionsgate has partnerships with Doritos, Mazda, and Whole Foods Market's Whole Planet Foundation, and other companies to sell Hunger Games-themed food, apparel, video games, and more.
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
Adults consume unspecified drinks at a Capitol event. Medical workers give Katniss and others sedatives.
