⚡ Short answer
In the US, all five Hunger Games movies are streaming on Peacock, and you can rent or buy them on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home. The best order before Sunrise on the Reaping (in theaters November 20) is release order — but we’ve also got a chronological order and a “one evening only” speedrun below.
A new Hunger Games movie is coming, Thanksgiving week is coming, and your couch is already calling. The only question is which order to watch in — and whether you really need all five. Let’s plan your marathon.
Where to stream The Hunger Games movies in the US
Peacock picked up the four original movies plus The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes back in January 2026, and they’re featured again in Peacock’s November lineup ahead of the new film. If you don’t have Peacock, all five are available to rent or buy on the major digital stores. Streaming deals shuffle, so double-check the app before you plan a party around it.
Option 1: Release order (our pick)
- The Hunger Games (2012) — about 2 hr 22 min
- Catching Fire (2013) — about 2 hr 26 min
- Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) — about 2 hr 3 min
- Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) — about 2 hr 17 min
- The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) — about 2 hr 37 min
- 🎟️ Sunrise on the Reaping (in theaters Nov. 20, 2026)
Why this order: the prequels are written for people who know where the story ends up. Half the pleasure of Ballad and Sunrise is recognizing the seeds of what you’ve already seen. That’s also why the Sunrise epilogue lands best for release-order viewers — more on that in our Katniss and Peeta guide.
Option 2: Chronological order (for rewatchers)
- The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes — the 10th Hunger Games
- 🎟️ Sunrise on the Reaping — the 50th Hunger Games
- The Hunger Games — the 74th
- Catching Fire — the 75th (the Third Quarter Quell)
- Mockingjay – Part 1
- Mockingjay – Part 2
This works beautifully if you’ve seen everything before and want to watch Panem rise and fall in one sweep. Just note you can’t do it straight through yet, because #2 is only in theaters.
⏱️ The math
All five streaming films add up to roughly 11 hours and 45 minutes. Start Saturday at 10 a.m. with snacks and a strict bathroom schedule and you’re done before midnight. Or spread it across Thanksgiving week: one movie a night, Saturday to Wednesday.
Option 3: The one-evening speedrun
Only have one night before your ticket? Watch these two:
- The Hunger Games — meet Haymitch, Effie, Caesar and the whole machine of the Games.
- Catching Fire — learn what a Quarter Quell is, and meet older versions of Beetee, Wiress and Mags. All three show up younger in Sunrise.
Optional bonus: the first 30 minutes of Ballad to meet the Covey, because Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove, is one of them.
🧩 Quiz: Which Hunger Games number is the Third Quarter Quell?
The 75th — that’s the Games in Catching Fire. Sunrise on the Reaping covers the Second Quarter Quell, the 50th.
🗳️ Quick poll: How are you watching before November 20?
- Release order, the proper way
- Chronological, I’m a rewatcher
- Speedrun: just the first two
- I’m going in cold
Drop your number in the comments — we tally the votes and update this post with the results.
Do you need to watch Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes?
Strictly speaking, no — Sunrise follows Haymitch, not Snow. But Ballad introduces the Covey and shows you young Snow’s worldview, and both matter in the new film. If you skip it, read our quick Lenore Dove explainer and you’ll be fine.
