Fans of The Hunger Games franchise have been blessed by yet another book-to-movie adaptation in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel to the first movie set nearly 64 years before Katniss Everdeen takes her sister’s place in the reaping. The story follows a young Coriolanus Snow, the tyrannical president of Panem and the main antagonist in the original Hunger Games trilogy, as he struggles to protect his family’s lineage after the destruction of the war by teaming up with his mentee, Lucy Grey Baird from District 12, in hopes that her survival will save both of them. However, Snow will soon learn what lengths he will go to to protect his family, country, and, ultimately, himself. It’s a look into Snow’s rise to power as he molds and shapes the Hunger Games into what is seen in the original trilogy. 

The movie was released to theaters worldwide on Friday, November 17, 2023, nearly eight years after Mockingjay Part 2 was released, thus ending the franchise. Or so fans thought. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is directed by Francis Lawrence and stars Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid) as Coriolanus Snow, Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Lucy Grey Baird, Viola Davis (Women King) as Dr. Ghal, Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) as Tigris Snow, Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as Casca Highbottom, and Josh Rivera (West Side Story) as Sejanus Plinth. The film was distributed by Lionsgate Films and is based on the prequel titled the same name written by Suzanne Collins, the author of the original books. 

An Exciting Plot that Struggles with Pacing

The Hunger Games prequel is a highly entertaining watch that does almost everything well, except for making the one mistake most book-to-movie adaptations struggle with assuming the audience has already read the book or has prior knowledge of the film. It’s why book-to-movie adaptations are such a finicky genre, one that has almost guaranteed success because of its previously established fanbase but may not be as accessible to newcomers who have no prior knowledge of the world of Panem, the Hunger Games, President Snow, or Katniss Everdeen. Dune struggled with the same thing, as anyone who had not read the book had little to no idea what was going on, instead, distracted solely by the spectacle of the cinematography and the elaborate costume designs.

However, while The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has a few details here or there that may not have been as clear if one didn’t read the book or somehow avoided watching all of the iconic Hunger Games movies, there is still something for everyone to enjoy, even if the pacing is a bit fast (another struggle with book-to-movie adaptions. Do you split the book into two movies and risk them being too dull, too slow? Or cram everything into one longer movie and have it be a bit fast?). The movie retains the feel of the original Hunger Games movies, from the set designs, the costumes, the exciting plot points that stay true to the book, the social and economic dynamics surrounding the concept of the Hunger Games, and the humorous moments placed perfectly throughout that gave viewers a rest amongst the emotional turmoil.