The hunger games: the ballad of songbirds and snakes, is a new film adaptation of the original novel by Suzanne Collins, directed by Francis Lawrence. Collins is well known for her well loved ‘the hunger games’ trilogy, which has also been adapted into a renowned film franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson.

 

The newest instalment of the franchise ‘the ballad of songbirds and snakes’ was released into cinemas across the world on November 17th 2023, starring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth. The film goes in depth into the haunting origin tale of the main antagonist of the original trilogy, President Coriolanus Snow. Exploring the events of the 10th hunger games, we learn why Snow becomes the tyrannical, machiavellian leader we see him as in the first four films of the trilogy.

 

The two main characters of the film are Lucy Gray Baird, a charming, theatrical girl from district 12, and Coriolanus Snow, an ambitious Capitol student. The character of Lucy Gray Baird is portrayed by Rachel Zegler, a young actress known for her depiction of Maria in Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’. Zegler perfectly captures the essence of Lucy Gray ,her portrayal feels as if it was ripped straight from a page of the book .Throughout the movie, Rachel shows off her musical skills and embodies the emotion and story wonderfully through her voice. Zegler was the perfect casting for her role as Lucy Gray.

 

Similarly ,Tom Blyth, a relatively newly emerging British actor, gives us an incredible recreation of Donald Sutherland’s Snow whilst still being able to make it his own. He provides an incredible insight into Coriolanus’ character. The depiction almost makes you sympathise for 

The character as we see the aftermath of the districts past revolt that tears apart his family and sends him into poverty. In many instances Blyth provides a raw, emotional performance as we see Coryo struggle to keep up against his wealthy classmates.

 

Other notable moments in the movie include, Hunter Schafer’s encapsulation of ‘Tigris Snow’, Josh Andres Rivera’s emotional performance as ‘Sejeanus Plinth’, and the absolutely fantastic costume and set design by Trish Summerville and Uli Hanisch.

 

In conclusion, this film is a must-watch if you are a fan of the franchise. Even if you haven't read the novel, the impact of this film is astronomical and will evoke many emotions especially knowing the events that take place in the past hunger games books and movies.