Francis Lawrence Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Francis Lawrence-whose latest project "The Long Walk" releases in theaters tonight. 

Francis Lawrence's Filmography Ranked:

9.Slumberland (C)

8.Water for Elephants (C)

7.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (B)

6.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 (B)

5.Constantine (B)

4.I Am Legend (B)

3.The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (B)

2.Red Sparrow (B+)

1.The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (A)

Top Dog: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

As solid as the Hunger Games franchise has been on the whole, Catching Fire is the clear peak that is going to remain very difficult for any future films to meet or exceed. Nothing about the themes or the narrative is drastically different from the other four installments, it just has a heightened level of adrenaline, swagger and intensity flowing through its veins that makes it unbelievably gripping from start to finish.    

Bottom Feeder: Slumberland (2022)

Jason Momoa-led Netflix library causality Slumberland is a well-intentioned but instantly forgettable family adventure that offers up very little of the whimsical fun or big emotional moments that it's aiming to deliver. 

Most Underrated: Red Sparrow (2018)

I get why people don't really fuck with Red Sparrow. The Russian accents are really cartoony, the pacing is slow, and the content of the story is often very unsavory. What I found so appealing about it is that marks one of the rare cases of a movie treating the world of espionage as the cold, ruthless and sleazy work that it is. Power dynamics are always shifting, horrific acts are committed in the name of "freedom" or "patriotism" and the only loyalty that can be found is to oneself. Movies that tread into such muddy waters without any fear are a luxury these days and it's particularly surprising a major studio (20th Century pre-Disney merger) was willing to back something that takes such an uncommercial approach to a genre that tends to be very accessible and action driven.           

Most Overrated: None

Lawrence's legacy as a director so is being a steady craftsman who rarely hits home runs but never strikes out entirely. That's the kind of profile that makes you a good bet to avoid having any overrated movies on your resume and since I like The Hunger Games movies and I Am Legend just fine, he was able to pull it off.