Movie Review: “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”

Eight years after the last of the original Hunger Games series, “Mockingjay Part II,” was released, the newest addition to the Hunger Games universe hit the big screens on Nov. 17. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” based off the best-selling novel by Suzanne Collins, has made a splash in the world of YA dystopia fans, and this adaptation stays true to the tragic and brutal political commentary that drew people to the original books and cinematic series.  

Directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage among others, the movie is an interesting addition to the Hunger Games universe but pales in comparison to the blockbuster originals starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. 

Set 64 years before we meet Katniss Everdeen, “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” follows the story of a young Coriolanus Snow (Blyth), who fans will recognize as the future villain President Snow from the original series. Unlike the tyrannical dictator who we see terrorizing Katniss Everdeen, this version of Snow is a poor Capital student whose father was killed during the War and who is determined to win a monetary prize given to the best Academy student to support what remains of his family. This year, however, the rules have changed, and the prize will be given to the students who ‘mentor’ their assigned Hunger Games tribute the best. 

Snow is assigned to the female tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray (Zegler), a rambunctious outsider whose songbird voice sets her apart from the other tributes. Snow is tasked with helping Gray to win in the arena and increasing viewership for the Games. As the film progresses, we see Snow and Gray fall in love as he becomes increasingly desperate to keep her alive, and more involved in the design of the Games. After the violent and tragic finale of the games, Snow slowly progresses into the villain we remember from the original series. He learns that it is a kill-or-be-killed world, and as his morals decline so does his connection with Lucy Gray, whose fate remains unclear by the end of this 2-hour and 40 min film. 

Although faithful to the novel and earlier movie, the biggest issue with this film is that there is nothing for fans to root for. If familiar with the original series, everyone watching already knows the fate of Snow, so from his first introduction there is a sense of dread. As the film progresses, from the games to the romance and tragic end, there is no sense of hope for a happy ending, no one to cheer for, and no reason to watch except for the powerful hit of 2015 Hunger Games nostalgia. 

Unlike the original series, in which audiences have the spunky and sympathetic Everdeen to root for, in ‘Ballad” the main characters are doomed from the start, and it makes all the violence seem needlessly brutal. Of course, an arena of children killing children was always a tragic spectacle, but in this film, it becomes worse without the promise of an upheaval of the evil government that institutes the Games. With no hope for victory, watching impoverished children die brutal and graphically violent deaths on screen feels unnecessary in a world already full of violence and injustice. 

Unlike other recent films in which the villains are redeemed through their tragic backstories, if anything, “Ballad” makes fans hate Snow even more for what he has done and how he became the man he is in the original series. He remains sympathetic for only some of the first part of the film, and afterward, we are left to watch a man’s rapid descent into an almost unfathomable evil. While Blyth’s acting is compelling, he is not able to save this character and make Snow’s character something worth watching. 

The character of Lucy Gray is one of the only redeeming qualities of the film. Zegler plays this free spirit beautifully and her story, though tragic, is what saves the movie from being completely hopeless. She brings light to the darkness of the film, and her beautiful, folksy singing is the true heart of the movie. Tragically, however, Zegler’s role is overshadowed completely by the brooding backstory of Snow, and viewers are left with only glimpses of her story throughout the film. Perhaps if the story was centered around Gray instead of the irredeemable Snow it would have been worth watching. 

Overall, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” provides an outlet back into the Hunger Games universe for fans, but otherwise falls short of the other films. The movie drags along for almost 3 hours of violence and brutal tragedy with a resolution that leaves viewers disappointed and hopeless. Of course, the political and societal commentary is present, but with a rushed and disappointing romance, lack of a moving main character and unending violent tragedies, this film cannot hold a candle to the original series and is an unfortunate prequel to an otherwise ionic cinematic universe. 

Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]