Review of The Hunger Games: 

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes: An Outstanding, Entertaining Trip Back to Panem

A creditable addition to the Hunger Games series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes features excellent acting and production design.

OVERVIEW

•  A commendable addition to the Hunger Games series, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes masterfully brings President Snow’s prequel narrative to life.
• The film’s core is driven by the relationship between Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Grey, and Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler deliver riveting performances.
• The film effectively conveys the violence and deeper meanings of the Hunger Games concept, giving it a contemporary and urgent air.

Everyone agrees that, for the most part, The Hunger Games films are some of the greatest book-to-movie adaptations. Despite the misguided two-part climax, Suzanne Collins’ futuristic novels were brilliantly adapted for the big screen by the directors Gary Ross and Francis Lawrence, who achieved this with arresting imagery, exquisite production and costume design, and unforgettable performances.

The Hunger Games:The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes brings the franchise back to life eight years after the conclusion of the main series. This new film, which is once again helmed by Lawrence, is based on Collins’ 2020 prequel, which centres on the fascist President Snow (Donald Sutherland in the original films).

When The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was initially revealed, some mocked the concept of a movie and expressed doubt about the choice to convey the tale of an unrepentant monster.

But as soon as the new movie starts, it’s clear that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a valuable addition to the Hunger Games franchise. The new film begins with 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) being forced into the 10th Hunger Games as a mentor to an unfortunate tribute, 64 years before Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) enlisted as a tribute.

All Coriolanus wants is the coveted Plinth Prize, which would provide his family, who were formerly wealthy but are now struggling, with the necessary funds to enable him to pursue his aspirations of becoming the Capitol’s heir.

Blyth, who has fair hair and cold eyes, fits the part of the young Snow, a guy who doesn’t give a damn about the Districts or its residents, with ease.

The destiny of Coriolanus’ tribute, Lucy Grey Baird (Rachel Zegler), a travelling musician from District 12, is intertwined with Coriolanus’ journey towards the Plinth Prize. Lucy Grey quickly demonstrates that she has more to give than her background may imply, and Coriolanus recognises an opportunity in her thanks to her strong singing voice and cunning charm.

Though Lucy Grey mistrust both, it doesn’t take long for him to start plotting to gain her confidence and win the Games. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt, is divided into three sections, the first two of which begin with a pulsating intensity that is palpable almost instantly.

The movie’s central force is the twisted interaction between Coriolanus and Lucy Grey, and one of its most thrilling aspects is seeing Blyth and Zegler interact. The man Coriolanus will become is widely known to readers of The Hunger Games, and Lawrence and the creative team don’t sugarcoat this fact.

In fact, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has a fascinating tension that is enhanced by the realisation that, despite Coriolanus’s potential for goodness, a darker journey lies ahead. This realisation plays out during the play’s moments of pity for Coriolanus.

Part three should have some of the most emotionally charged scenes in the whole film, but sadly, the movie starts to lose momentum at that point. The impact of a key death is less than one might anticipate, even though the performers themselves are consistently excellent.

Zegler portrays Lucy Grey with a cheeky glimmer and rebellious attitude, speaking with a Southern dialect. This quickly makes her seem almost as legendary and menacing as Katniss. Throughout the film, she has several opportunities to showcase her amazing voice, but her performance of “The Hanging Tree,” which became well-known from the original films, is without a doubt the highlight.

The ensemble of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is remarkable, aside from its captivating main pair. While Hunter Schafer of Euphoria plays the eventual villain’s cousin Tigris, Josh Andrés Rivera plays one of the meatier parts as Coriolanus’s District-bred buddy Sejanus Plinth. Both actors give Coriolanus’ storyline heart by suggesting the redemptive traits he may possess.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes starring Peter Dinklage Despite playing radically different roles, Peter Dinklage and Viola Davis give the proceedings gravity. When it comes to her portrayal of Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the cruel scientist who is currently Head Gamemaker, Davis looks like she’s having fun playing the bad guy.

Dinklage, as Casca Highbottom, the man who created the Games, is reminiscent of Haymitch Abernathy, but he manages to make the role his own. Highbottom’s interactions with Blyth’s Coriolanus are equally captivating as his moments with Lucy Grey because of their special bond with the young Snow. In addition to the actors, Lawrence has once more put together a strong creative team to bring Panem to life.

Thanks to the amazing efforts of costume designer Trish Summerville and production designer Uli Hanisch, Panem feels startlingly, horrifyingly real in a world of green screens (get ready to see a lot of Lucy Grey costumes come Halloween).

It should be noted that Katniss finds herself in a high-tech show much different from the 10th Hunger Games, and part of the thrill of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is seeing these modest beginnings.