Early buzz for Hunger Games movie Sunrise on the Reaping is ecstatic

First reactions to The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping have landed, and they are glowing. The film, which adapts Suzanne Collins' novel about the brutal 50th Hunger Games, is earning heavy praise for its cast and direction.

Per ScreenRant, critics singled out Joseph Zada's performance as a young Haymitch Abernathy. Collider's Perri Nemiroff wrote that Zada had her "jaw on the floor" with his ability to capture the character's charm and subsequent rage. Multiple outlets called it a star-making turn.

Director Francis Lawrence, helming his fifth film in the franchise, also received commendation. Griffin Schiller of The Playlist and Discussing Film noted that Lawrence excels at interrogating the tension between nihilism and the desire to disrupt the system.

The reactions position the movie as a major entry in the series. The Nerds of Color podcast called it "easily the best film in the Hunger Games franchise," while others, like critic DawsOnScreen, felt it was the worthy follow-up to Catching Fire they had always wanted.

Supporting performances from Jesse Plemons and Glenn Close were also highlighted as scene-stealing. The film is set for release in theaters on November 20.