Hunger Games age rating: what parents of kids 4–7 should know

• ✓Official rating above age 7
  Film 1: MPA PG-13 (all films PG-13)
• ✓Violence in rating descriptors
  Film 1, MPA: intense violent thematic material
• ✓Scary content in rating descriptors
  MPA: disturbing images; BBFC: intense threat
• –Bad language in rating descriptors
  Film 1, BBFC: very mild language only
• –Sexual content, drugs, or alcohol in rating descriptors
  Not in rating reasons; BBFC notes adult drinking
• ✓Rated 12 or higher in the UK or Germany
  Film 1: BBFC 12A; FSK 12

Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count. Rating reasons marked mild, very mild, or brief don't count.

Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?

Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.

What The Hunger Games is about

The Hunger Games is a 2012 film directed by Gary Ross, based on Suzanne Collins's 2008 novel and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are forced to compete in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death among teenagers. It came out in US theaters on March 23, 2012. Three sequels followed (2013–2015), then two prequels: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) and Sunrise on the Reaping (2026).

Hunger Games age rating: every film

Short answer: Every film is PG-13 in the US and 12A in UK cinemas.

• The Hunger Games (2012): PG-13, intense violent thematic material and disturbing images, all involving teens.
• Catching Fire (2013): PG-13, intense violence and action, frightening images, a suggestive situation, language.
• Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015): PG-13, intense violence and action, thematic material.
• The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023): PG-13, strong violent content, disturbing material.
• Sunrise on the Reaping (2026): PG-13, strong violence, bloody images, disturbing material, teen drinking, some smoking.

FSK: 12 for the first five films, per kino.de.

What's in the first film

Short answer: Teens fighting to the death, with moderate violence and intense threat, per the UK's BBFC.

The BBFC describes young characters stabbing and shooting arrows at each other, wolf-like creatures attacking, and wounds and blood shown afterward. For the 12A, the distributor digitally removed blood splashes and blood on wounds and weapons in one scene; the BBFC lists an uncut 15 version too. It notes that younger children may be upset by the idea of young people fighting to the death as TV entertainment. Language is very mild, such as "damn," and one adult character is an alcoholic.

When does Sunrise on the Reaping come out?

Short answer: November 20, 2026, in the US and the UK, per Rotten Tomatoes and the BBFC.

It's rated PG-13 in the US for strong violence, bloody images, disturbing material, teen drinking and some smoking. The BBFC rates it 12A for moderate violence, injury detail, threat and upsetting scenes. As of October 2026, we couldn't confirm a German FSK rating.

The habit kids may copy: playing the Games

In the Games, teens must fight each other while the whole country watches it on TV as entertainment.

Try tonight: what's up to me?

Draw two baskets on paper. Name one thing from today in each: something your child could choose, like what to say, and something they couldn't, like the rain. Ask: "Which basket does this go in?" In our program, this is the lesson "Two Baskets": what's up to me, and what isn't.

What age is The Hunger Games for?

All the films are PG-13 in the US, which cautions parents about children under 13. Common Sense Media lists the first film for ages 14 and up.

Are all Hunger Games movies PG-13?

Yes. All six films, from The Hunger Games (2012) to Sunrise on the Reaping (2026), are rated PG-13 by the MPA (Sunrise on the Reaping is rated but not yet released).

What is Sunrise on the Reaping rated?

PG-13 in the US for strong violence, bloody images, disturbing material, teen drinking and some smoking, and 12A in the UK (Sunrise on the Reaping is rated but not yet released).

Why is The Hunger Games 12A in the UK?

The BBFC lists intense threat, moderate violence and occasional gory moments. Blood was cut from one scene to get the 12A.

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