The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Review

By Kyle Smart and Josie Solomon // Emertainment Monthly Staff Writers

Many people believed that after 2015, The Hunger Games craze would have died down and just become some weird cultural phenomenon that we left in the past. But in 2019, Suzanne Collins, the author of the original books, announced that she had a new book coming out: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (TBOSAS). With the announcement of the book came the reveal that the movie adaptation was already in the works, set to be released on November 17, 2023. 

The film follows the future president of Panem, Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), and his transformation from an ordinary Capitol resident to an evil dictator. Along the way, he is forced to mentor District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) in the 10th annual Hunger Games, and they end up falling for each other. The film follows the two on a vast journey that goes all the way from the regal Capitol to grimy District 12.

Although many wanted the movie to be split into two separate parts, the filmmaking team condensed the lengthy novel into a well-paced, but long, single film. Having only one film gives it an epic feel, having the story cover many plot points and lavish locations (brought to life with beautiful production design by Uli Hanisch). It also helps to convey the character arcs more effectively, with the lengthy run time helping to make the characters feel truly different by the end.

The film was spearheaded by two relatively new actors; Blyth was previously seen in Robin Hood (dir. Ridley Scott, 2010) as a “feral child” and as Archie in the HBO show, The Gilded Age. This is just another stepping stone for Zegler’s career, as she was first introduced to the silver screen just two years before TBOSAS as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021). Her second role (and most recent before TBOSAS) was as Anthea in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (dir. David F. Sandberg, 2023). Choosing these lesser-known actors to play the protagonists rather than A-list stars allows them to more easily disappear into their characters, putting the audience that much more in the story. Viola Davis who portrays Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head game maker, acts in an over-the-top, cartoonish villain-like manner. But don’t let this description deter you, she is at the top of her game, tapping back into her Annalise Keating roots, portraying Dr. Gaul as a true monster. The final notable performance was Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman (presumably, Caesar Flickerman’s dad), the first-ever host of The Hunger Games. He works perfectly alongside the source material, hitting every dark joke when the audience least expects it. Other people to note are Hunter Schafer and Peter Dinklage who are serviceable in their small but important roles. 

The film is directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously directed all but the first film in the original series. It is very interesting to see Lawrence change the visual language of the franchise with this entry. As the film is set around 60 years before the original films, the production design is also made to reflect a more “vintage” aesthetic. The main arena that the Games take place in is very well realized, with new mechanisms of the location being slowly revealed throughout the runtime.

Since the novel was written knowing that it would become a film, the adaptation is done quite well. The story is paced weirdly, being split into three parts where the middle part is almost objectively the most interesting. The film is able to hold the audience’s attention throughout the entire lengthy runtime, a big credit to the screenwriters Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. They condensed the slower parts of the novel (while still getting across all necessary information) and lengthened the bigger action spectacle moments, creating a highly engaging and thought-provoking blockbuster.

While upholding the themes of the original films, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes explores something new within the world of Panem, tracking Coriolanus Snow’s rise to power. With strong performances and a well-adapted script, this new film is a worthy new entry into one of the most popular franchises of this generation.