Culture Cabinet

This review contains mild spoilers. 

The game is on again. Set 64 years prior to the first Hunger Games story, The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows the story of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), a student at the Academy in The Capitol, who is hoping for an academic prize that could save his family from financial ruin. When Academy Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) and game maker Dr. Volumina Gaul (Viola Davis) announce that this year’s prize will be awarded to whomever is deemed the strongest mentor to the 10th Annual Hunger Games tributes, Coriolanus is disappointed to learn he’s been paired with the fiery Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). Lucy Gray is strong willed and compassionate, with a singing voice that could bring a whole room of tributes to tears, but her odds for winning the games seem slim. As Coriolanus quickly schemes to give Lucy Gray an edge over her competition so that they can both claim victory, he quickly realizes that his motives for wanting to keep her alive may go beyond wanting to win the prize. However, once out of the games, Coriolanus and Lucy Gray quickly learn just how vast their differences in upbringing and world view are, with Coriolanus ultimately choosing love of power over love of another. 

Fans of the original Hunger Games series will likely enjoy watching the story of the original series’ most notorious villain unfold. A stark contrast to the Snow we see in the original Hunger Games stories, Tom Blyth’s take on the future tyrant is one of many complex layers. We see Snow start out as a young man who is as ambitious and cunning as they may come, but ultimately kind hearted. He constantly schemes for some sort of chance at winning his next move, but does so with as little detriment to others as possible. Over the course of the short time we see him mentor Lucy, we see a budding romance unfold, which keeps the viewer invested in the high stakes of the games themselves. 

Once in the games, the same high stakes and tensity that the originals are known for are ever apparent, though the violence seems a touch more tastefully done than A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ predecessors. However, much unlike the original films, the games feel very quick, to the point where Lucy Gray’s victory feels a bit anticlimactic. From there, the film makes a quick pivot, and the latter half feels almost like an entirely different film completely. 

Once the Hunger Games are over, Coriolanus is caught for cheating, slipping Lucy Gray rat poison in a compact for her to use against other tributes, and slipping a handkerchief that she used into a tank full of snakes that only attack when they are not familiar with one’s scent. As punishment, he is sent to be a peacekeeper in another district, though he is able to persuade his way into being put into District 12, the district that Lucy Gray is from, in hopes of finding her. 

From that point onward, we see the struggles between Coriolanus and Lucy Gray as they try to reconcile some sort of relationship outside the high stakes of the Hunger Games, coupled with growing tensions between Coriolanus and his best friend, Sejanus (Josh Andrés Rivera), who is starting to become a bit too rebellious for Coriolanus’ taste. As he begins to settle within District 12, we see Coriolanus slowly start to plant the seeds of the eventual tyrant he will become, as he eventually forgoes love, family, and friendship to gain what he wants most: power. 

The movie feels like two separate films within itself. While it distinguishes the story into three parts, it feels like one is watching a double feature- a film that feels more reminiscent of a standard Hunger Games film, and a film that tells the story of what happened after the games. While the storyline is compelling, the long runtime coupled with the quickly changing story sometimes feels like there is a bit too more than the film can chew. 

However, the performances in this film are the real heart. Tom Blyth does a fantastic job of showing Snow’s slow descent into madness, adding a perfect balance of showing that the sadistic president we’re all familiar with may have always been within Coriolanus Snow, but the circumstances that he came out of is what ultimately drove him to become the monster he became. Rachel Zegler is a charming Lucy Gray, adding the perfect amount of spunk and southern charm that the role requires. It goes without saying that her ability to showcase her golden singing voice only adds to the film. Viola Davis is unhinged (in the best) way as Gaul, serving as a fun makeshift villain for this story, as the usual Hunger Games villain is actually the protagonist here. Other standouts include Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom and Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, serving as the perfect predecessor for Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) in the later Hunger Games stories. 

The production, costume, and hair and makeup design are as gorgeous as one can expect out of a Hunger Games movie, with the grand costumes of The Capitol serving as a stark contrast to the more plain clothes of the Districts, showcasing the discrepancy of wealth. The use of music in this film adds a stronger element, and casting a singer as strong as Zegler feels integral to the character. 

Ultimately, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will satisfy any fan of the original Hunger Games series, but is also an exciting enough ride to entertain someone who may not be so familiar with the films or books. While the runtime is definitely felt towards the latter half of the film, the tensity of the high stake storyline and interesting political subtext will keep anyone entertained.