Save the Cat rankings

The Hunger Games script analysis

The Hunger Games script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Katniss Everdeen navigates life in District 12 and volunteers for the Hunger Games, forming alliances and facing moral dilemmas. She endures training, forms a bond with Rue, and challenges the Capitol’s rules, leading to a revolutionary act of defiance. In the arena, she and Peeta outwit the Gamemakers and return as joint victors, hinting at future rebellion.

85 Save the Cat fit score 74% analysis confidence / 40 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

63%

The nightmare battle vision establishes the brutal world and Katniss’s role as prey.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 2 / Page 1 / 5% target

70%

Katniss’s comment about hunting dinner hints at survival vs. humanity.

I'm gonna go catch some dinner.
3

Set-Up

Scenes 2-8 / Pages 1-8 / 10% target

78%

Introduces District 12, Katniss’s family, Peeta, Haymitch, and the stakes of the Reaping.

4

Catalyst

Scene 8 / Page 8 / 12% target

85%

Katniss volunteers at the Reaping, thrusting her into the Games.

I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!
5

Debate

Scenes 9-23 / Pages 9-23 / 20% target

72%

On the train and in the Capitol, Katniss questions her strategy and allies before the Games.

6

Break into Two

Scenes 24-26 / Pages 24-26 / 25% target

80%

Tributes are transported to the arena, moving story into Act Two.

7

B Story

Scene 18 / Page 18 / 30% target

68%

Katniss and Peeta’s rooftop conversation introduces their emotional bond.

I'm not going to let all this change me - or turn me into something I'm not.
8

Fun and Games

Scenes 19-23 / Pages 19-23 / 40% target

75%

Training, interviews, and preparation showcase the Games’ spectacle and relationships.

9

Midpoint

Scene 27 / Page 27 / 50% target

82%

Katniss rescues Rue, wins trust, and experiences the first major emotional high in the arena.

10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 28-33 / Pages 28-33 / 65% target

77%

Rue’s death and rule changes escalate danger and interior conflict for Katniss.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 33 / Page 33 / 75% target

81%

The announcement that only one tribute can win shatters Katniss’s hopes of dual victory.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 34 / Page 34 / 80% target

79%

Facing inevitable death, Katniss and Peeta prepare to eat poisonous berries.

13

Break into Three

Scene 36 / Page 36 / 85% target

83%

They’re declared joint winners, pivoting from despair to hope and rebellion.

14

Finale

Scenes 37-39 / Pages 37-39 / 95% target

76%

Extraction, reflection, and Seneca’s execution underscore the Capitol’s reaction and set up future stakes.

15

Final Image

Scene 40 / Page 40 / 99% target

80%

Katniss and Peeta’s return to District 12 mirrors the opening but with newfound defiance.