The long-awaited adaptation of the Hunger Games prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” debuted in theaters on November 17, 2023. Typically, when a popular series attempts a revival years later, it fails at meeting the expectations of fans.
Thankfully, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” exceeded expectations and quickly became a box-office success.
The movie takes place 64 years before the events that occur in “The Hunger Games” trilogy. It follows Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute in the 10th annual Hunger Games, and Coriolanus Snow, Lucy’s mentor and the future tyrannical president of Panem.
Both the book and the movie provide a deeper understanding of the history of the Hunger Games and Panem’s government. While the movie misses the addition of some minor plot points, it masterfully combines all the most important and thrilling scenes on screen.
The incredible cast included Rachel Zegler playing the role of Lucy Gray and Tom Blyth as young Coriolanus Snow. Zegler’s portrayal of Lucy Gray perfectly resembled that of the book and Blyth was amazing at depicting all the complexities of Snow’s character.
While the two main characters of the movie were played by previously lesser-known actors, the film also included a few highly regarded actors and actresses such as eight-time Emmy nominee Peter Dinklage, EGOT winner Viola Davis, and Hunter Schafer from the Emmy award-winning series “Euphoria.”
While Rachel Zegler is an amazing actress, she is an even better singer. All but two songs in the soundtrack were recorded live and sung by Zegler herself. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful and captivating. In the film, we learn that Lucy Gray is the creator of the song “The Hanging Tree,” which later becomes an anthem of rebellion throughout Panem and is later sung by Katniss herself in the original books and movies.
The difference between the way Lucy Gray sang the song and the way Katniss sang it is subtle yet distinct. The original song by Lucy Gray has a more Appalachian tune that Katniss’s version doesn’t.
Another very popular song on the soundtrack is “Can’t Catch Me Now,” sung by Olivia Rodrigo, who at the young age of 20 has already won three Grammys. The song quickly blew up before the movie was released due to Rodrigo’s large fanbase. In an interview with Variety magazine, Rodrigo references the scene that inspired “Can’t Catch Me Now.” “I thought, I want to write a song that captures what that feeling is. That was the goal.”
Fashion played such a big part in the original movies, and because this is only the tenth Hunger Games, we see the beginning of the eccentric outfits, hair, and makeup that the franchise is known for.
From Lucy Gray’s iconic rainbow dress she wore on the day of the reaping, to the makeup that completely transforms Hunter Schafer’s face into that of Tigris, Trish Summerville and the rest of the design team truly bring the story to life.
Though I prefer the costumes in the original movie trilogy because of their more elaborate designs and details, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” puts a futuristic twist on the 1940s Americana aesthetic.
This movie delves into Panem’s past and the intricate characters of President Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird. The cinematography, acting, soundtrack, and costume design of the movie are all glorious. My rating of the film is 4.5/5 stars. I highly recommend this movie to fans of the original Hunger Games trilogy and anyone who is interested in the dystopian genre.
