The story centers on the heteronormative romantic bond between Katniss and Peeta. While the supporting cast is diverse, the film lacks explicit queer characters or non-heteronormative identities as central plot drivers.

Katniss Everdeen disrupts traditional hierarchies as a primary agent of political and military change. The film avoids submissive tropes, centering the female experience through leadership, trauma, and decisive action.

A multi-ethnic ensemble represents the various Districts, illustrating systemic inequality. This casting uses regional identities as a metaphor for colonized peoples seeking liberation from an imperial power.

The narrative offers a sophisticated anti-capitalist critique of the Capitol's wealth. It deconstructs traditional authority and patriotism, framing them as tools of state-sponsored psychological warfare and oppression.

The film explores psychological disability through Peeta’s hijacking. It treats his fractured memory and altered cognitive state as a profound loss of agency caused by systemic violence.