Alexa Faletra ‘25
After an almost decade long hiatus, The Hunger Games has returned with the release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on November 17th. The four-movie-length franchise which was previously considered complete has opened up for a fifth movie. Rather than a continuation, the new film is a prequel, following the 10th Hunger Games from the perspective of none other than President Corialanus Snow. Rather than mansions and perfectly tailored suits, we see an 18 year old version of Snow living in his rundown apartment struggling to afford an adequate shirt for Reaping Day. We are brought through this rags-to-riches story, learning of Snow’s past and the success he managed to achieve through obsession, deceit and death.
Dominating the Thanksgiving box office, receiving 42 million dollars in ticket sales, the film outsold its potent competition including Disney’s Wish. Despite this, it was also the lowest-grossing Hunger Games film during opening weekend of the 5. Was the appeal of the original movies not strong enough to keep fans interested after almost 8 years without content? Likely the new cast and storyline caused casual viewers to hesitate to watch a film that is so vastly different from the movie they remember watching as adolescents. The announcement of the film caused both excitement to those who had read the book published in 2020 and confusion to those expecting a continuation of Katniss and Peeta’s story. Considering that movie theater culture has vastly changed in a post-pandemic society, streaming services dominate the movie watching sphere which has taken its severe toll on box-office numbers. Under more unfortunate circumstances, actors were unable to make any comments or generate attention for the movie per the conditions of the actors strike which ended about a week before the film was to release.
Despite these setbacks, the prequel managed to capture its audience for 160 minutes as it brought us through the gruesome developments of the Hunger Games along with Snow’s (played by Tom Blyth) role in them. We are provided with useful information that helps us to further understand the meticulously crafted world created by Suzanne Collins. A dystopian world which shares eerie similarities with the modern world, reminding the audience that the Hunger Games is not just a work of fiction, but a warning. The newest film leans much further into the gruesome and terrifying world that the films are set in, located in a future North America.
Rachel Zegler delivers an exceptional musical and acting performance, playing the female protagonist, Lucy Gray Baird making this film a notable moment of her career considering recent controversy around her role in Disney’s adaptation of Snow White. Tom Blyth also held his own on screen, proving he was the perfect choice to carry on the role of Corialanus Snow with his deeply emotional performance. The character in the book, who mostly shows his descent to evil through his inner monologue, is remarkably brought to life through Blyth. Of course to truly understand the thoughts behind the character, I would have to recommend the book which makes it extremely easy to witness the sinister thoughts behind Snow’s behavior.
Nevertheless, the film is the ideal combination of emotion, action, violence, and a hint of comedy from Jason Schwartzman in his role as Lucky Flickerman, the flashy announcer of the games. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a must-watch for all returning Hunger Games fans and those looking to break into the dystopian world. It is a timeless film that not only forces us to examine our own relationships, but also the world around us.
