Eight years after “Mockingjay Part 2” came out, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was released on Nov. 17, 2023. The movie explores the challenges future President Snow faces during the events of the 10th Hunger Games as a prequel to the original series which covers the 75th Hunger Games. Based originally on the 2020 Suzanne Collins book of the same name, the dystopian thriller is more of a war romance story which makes it feel different than the rest of the series.
The movie begins by giving background about how the Games came to be, however it fast forwards eight years ahead to 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow who struggles to secure his place in the Capitol because of his family’s financial situation. I didn’t really like this part moving so fast because I felt like I needed more context to better understand some of the side characters, such as his classmates, who have more lines in the book.
Halfway through, I was waiting for the movie to end as it seemed to have moved past its climax. This made it feel like some of the scenes could have been cut since they didn’t add much to the story. This also happens in the book, so I was somewhat expecting this, but I wish it was something that the screenwriters had changed.
Despite the unsatisfactory plot, the set and props department did an amazing job of capturing every single detail there was in key scenes. From the strange creatures in jars displayed in Dr. Gaul’s office. to the intricate golden monograms on a handkerchief, there seemed to be no lack of time and money that went into creating the world of Panem. I also liked how as the movie progressed, the director chose to use more natural scenery versus a green background that could be controlled by a computer. This choice made me feel like the movie was much more realistic Another success was in the soundtrack department where the addition of seven songs sung by actress Rachel Zegler which showcases Zegler’s abilities for the country folk music that her character Lucy Gray Baird sings throughout the movie.
Overall, the story was lacking, however, the elements used to create it were more than well done so I rate this 3/5 stars.
