The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Review – An Excellent, Fascinating Return To Panem

It is a truth universally acknowledged — for the most part — that The Hunger Games movies are among the best book-to-movie adaptations. Misguided two-part finale aside, the films directed by Gary Ross and Francis Lawrence impressively brought author Suzanne Collins’ dystopian novels to the big screen through striking visuals, gorgeous production and costume design, and memorable performances. Now, eight years after the last of the main series, the franchise comes alive again with The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Again directed by Lawrence, this new installment is based on Collins’ 2020 prequel revolving around the fascistic President Snow (Donald Sutherland in the original movies).

When The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was first announced, there was skepticism over the decision to tell the story of an unrepentant villain, and some scoffed at the idea of a movie as well. However, from the moment the new film begins, there is little question that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a worthy addition to The Hunger Games series. Going back in time 64 years before Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteered as tribute, the new movie picks up with 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) as he is unwillingly thrust into the 10th Hunger Games as a mentor to an unlucky tribute. Coriolanus merely wants to secure the coveted Plinth Prize, an award that will give his once affluent but now struggling family the money needed to pave the way for his ambitious future within Panem’s Capitol. With fair hair and calculating eyes, Blyth sinks into the role of the young Snow, a man who cares little for the Districts and its people, with ease.

Coriolanus’ path to the Plinth Prize is woven in with the fate of his tribute, a nomadic musician from District 12 named Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). Armed with a powerful singing voice and her sly charm, Lucy Gray swiftly proves she has more to offer than her origins may suggest, and Coriolanus sees an opportunity in her. It isn’t long before he’s conniving to win her trust and her victory in the Games, though Lucy Gray has her doubts about both. Written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is structured into three parts, the first two of which are humming with an urgency that can be felt almost immediately. The twisted dynamic between Coriolanus and Lucy Gray fuels the heart of the movie, and watching Blyth and Zegler play off each other is one of the most exciting things about it. Anyone familiar with The Hunger Games knows full well the man Coriolanus will turn out to be, and Lawrence and the creative team don’t shy away from that knowledge. Indeed, while there are moments of sympathy for Coriolanus, they are played with the confirmation that, regardless of the good person he could have been, a darker journey lies ahead; this only serves to add a fascinating layer of tension to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

The movie loses some of its steam when it hits part three, which is unfortunate because it should hold some of the most emotional beats of the entire story. A pivotal death has a smaller impact than one would expect, though the actors themselves always remain top-notch. Speaking with a Southern twang, Zegler plays Lucy Gray with a mischievous gleam and defiant stance, instantly making her as formidable as Katniss, and almost as iconic. She gets to show off her impressive vocals multiple times throughout the movie, with the biggest moment undoubtedly being her rendition of “The Hanging Tree,” the song made popular by the original movies. Outside the compelling leading duo, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has an impressive cast. Josh Andrés Rivera gets one of the meatier roles as Coriolanus’ District-bred friend Sejanus Plinth, while Euphoria‘s Hunter Schafer is the future villain’s cousin Tigris; both Rivera and Schafer bring heart to Coriolanus’ arc, hinting at the redeeming qualities he holds inside.

Award winners Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage add gravitas to the proceedings through vastly different characters. Davis clearly relishes getting to play the bad guy in her performance as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the brutal scientist currently serving as Head Gamemaker, while Dinklage’s Casca Highbottom, the creator of the Games, has shades of Haymitch Abernathy, though the Game of Thrones alum is still able to make the role his own. His scenes with Blyth’s Coriolanus are just as fascinating as the ones with Lucy Gray, as Highbottom has a rather unique relationship with the young Snow. Beyond the cast, Lawrence has again assembled an impressive creative team to bring Panem to life. In a world of green screens, Panem feels strikingly, devastatingly real through the incredible work of production designer Uli Hanisch and costume designer Trish Summerville (be prepared to see lots of Lucy Gray costumes next Halloween).

It also must be said that the 10th Hunger Games are a far, far cry from the high-tech spectacle that Katniss finds herself in, and part of the excitement in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes comes from watching these humble beginnings. The idea of 24 children fighting to the death is already horrendous, but somehow there are even deeper levels of brutality to mine in this concept, and that is exactly what this movie does. It’s impossible not to see shades of current events in the relationship between the Capitol and the Districts, and that only makes this Hunger Games installment feel more timely and urgent. It’s a good thing that the franchise only comes back when it has something to say (so far), but it’s hard not to wish there was more ahead as The Hunger Games remains one of the most exciting stories out there.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes releases in theaters Friday, November 17. It is 157 minutes long and rated PG-13 for strong violent content and disturbing material.