The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
After young Katniss Everdeen agrees to be the symbol of rebellion, the Mockingjay, she tries to return Peeta to his normal state, tries to get to the Capitol, and tries to deal with the battles coming her way...but all for her main goal: assassinating President Snow and returning peace to the Districts of Panem. As her squad starts to get smaller and smaller, will she make it to the Capitol? Will she get revenge on Snow or will her target change? Will she be with her "Star-Crossed Lover," Peeta, or her long-time friend, Gale? Deaths, bombs, bow and arrows, a love triangle, hope... What will happen?
Despite a blockbuster budget of $160.0M, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 became a financial success, earning $653.4M worldwide—a 308% return. This commercial performance validated the ambitious narrative scope, proving that audiences embrace compelling narrative even at blockbuster scale.
15 wins & 34 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) exemplifies deliberately positioned plot construction, characteristic of Francis Lawrence's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 17 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.9, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Katniss recovers in District 13's medical facility, traumatized and voiceless after Peeta's attack. She is broken, unable to speak, haunted by what the Capitol has done to both of them.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when Coin announces Katniss will remain in District 13, safe and symbolic, while others fight. This denial of agency and revenge against Snow disrupts Katniss's fragile stability and ignites her determination to act.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 34 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Katniss deliberately gets herself assigned to Squad 451 and heads to the Capitol. This is her active choice to stop being a symbol and become a soldier—to hunt Snow herself., moving from reaction to action.
At 69 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat The squad is attacked in the underground tunnels by Lizard mutations. Boggs is fatally wounded and transfers command to Katniss, revealing Coin sent them on a suicide mission. The stakes raise—the real enemy may not be who they thought. False defeat: the mission is compromised., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 102 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Prim is killed in an explosion at Snow's mansion—a bombing that may have been ordered by Coin, not Snow. Katniss watches her sister die, the one person she has fought to protect since the very beginning. Everything collapses. Whiff of death achieved., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 109 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Snow reveals to Katniss that Coin ordered the bombing that killed Prim, using Capitol hovercrafts to turn the populace against him. Katniss synthesizes everything—Coin is the new threat, and true justice means breaking the cycle of tyranny, not perpetuating it., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 against these established plot points, we can identify how Francis Lawrence utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 within the action genre.
Francis Lawrence's Structural Approach
Among the 7 Francis Lawrence films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Francis Lawrence filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Francis Lawrence analyses, see Constantine, Water for Elephants and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Katniss recovers in District 13's medical facility, traumatized and voiceless after Peeta's attack. She is broken, unable to speak, haunted by what the Capitol has done to both of them.
Theme
Haymitch tells Katniss about Peeta: "He doesn't know who he is. He doesn't know who anybody is." The theme of identity and what war does to the self is established—can people be restored after being weaponized?
Worldbuilding
District 13's military command structure is revealed. Coin leads the rebellion strategically while keeping Katniss as a symbol. Peeta is hijacked, conditioned to kill Katniss. The rebels prepare for the final assault on the Capitol while Katniss struggles with her role as the Mockingjay.
Disruption
Coin announces Katniss will remain in District 13, safe and symbolic, while others fight. This denial of agency and revenge against Snow disrupts Katniss's fragile stability and ignites her determination to act.
Resistance
Katniss debates whether to accept her sidelined role. Johanna trains with her, Gale offers partnership, and Haymitch subtly guides her. She visits the hijacked Peeta, confronting the cost of this war. The rebels plan to take the Capitol district by district.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Katniss deliberately gets herself assigned to Squad 451 and heads to the Capitol. This is her active choice to stop being a symbol and become a soldier—to hunt Snow herself.
Mirror World
Peeta, still hijacked and dangerous, is added to the squad by Coin's order. His presence forces Katniss to confront what she's fighting for—not just revenge, but the possibility of restoring what's been broken. He represents the human cost of war.
Premise
The squad navigates the Capitol's deadly pods and traps. This is urban warfare—the "game" the audience expects. Katniss leads the team through sewers and streets, filming propos, dodging mutations, and slowly advancing toward Snow's mansion while Peeta struggles to distinguish real from unreal.
Midpoint
The squad is attacked in the underground tunnels by Lizard mutations. Boggs is fatally wounded and transfers command to Katniss, revealing Coin sent them on a suicide mission. The stakes raise—the real enemy may not be who they thought. False defeat: the mission is compromised.
Opposition
The squad is hunted in the sewers by mutations. Finnick dies. They're declared dead by the Capitol but continue in hiding. Peeta's conditioning wavers. Trust fractures within the team. Snow tightens his grip, using civilians as human shields. Every step toward the mansion becomes more costly.
Collapse
Prim is killed in an explosion at Snow's mansion—a bombing that may have been ordered by Coin, not Snow. Katniss watches her sister die, the one person she has fought to protect since the very beginning. Everything collapses. Whiff of death achieved.
Crisis
Katniss is catatonic with grief and guilt. She is held in the mansion, burned and broken. Snow is captured but she cannot process her victory. She has lost everything. Dark night of the soul—was any of this worth it?
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Snow reveals to Katniss that Coin ordered the bombing that killed Prim, using Capitol hovercrafts to turn the populace against him. Katniss synthesizes everything—Coin is the new threat, and true justice means breaking the cycle of tyranny, not perpetuating it.
Synthesis
At Snow's execution, Katniss kills Coin instead, choosing to end the cycle of power-hungry leaders. Snow dies laughing. Katniss attempts suicide but survives. She is put on trial, pardoned, and sent back to District 12. Peeta returns. They rebuild together, slowly healing.
Transformation
Katniss plays with her children in the meadow where the dead are buried. She has chosen life, love, and hope despite everything. Peeta is beside her. The Hunger Games are a memory she will explain when her children are ready. She is no longer the girl on fire—she is whole.