8. The Hunger Games
I'll be as upfront about
The Hunger Games as I possibly can. I haven't read the books. I prefer Battle Royale, but understand that the two are not the same and only share a premise that is coincidentally tantamount. I found the movie to be surprisingly refreshing. Because I don't see the movie as a film about kids killing each other, despite the fact that that is what happens. The Games are used as both a means of entertainment and control when they are televised. The movie is strong on all its major fronts: acting, direction, writing, and it certainly deserves its franchise potential. Jennifer Lawrence gets to mix her emotionally intimate role of Ree from
Winter's Bone with a more physically demanding part than she was given in
X-Men: First Class. The television aspect may not always be right in front of your face, but it's something this film completely hinges on. It could have easily been an emotionless cash-grab on the hottest book series (and some might say it is, considering it's splitting the final book into two features), but the first installment is humane, emotionally gripping, and action-packed without ever losing heart.