Adaptations of Suzanne Collins’ young-adult dystopian novels hit the silver screen in 2012. The era of dystopian fiction was at an all-time high during the early 2010s, with The Hunger Games being one of the most well-known and pivotal ones. Now the prequel to the iconic story, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen’s story, released on Friday, November 17, 2023.
Set in the future of North America where the land is called Panem, each year two tributes are chosen from each of the land’s 12 districts to participate in the nation’s annual Hunger Games. Hosted by the Capitol, where rich folk live and corruption is bred, these games served as a punishment for the civil war that had taken place 74 years prior.
Credit: IMDB
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, released in 2020, follows the 10th annual Hunger Games, where Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is mentoring District 12’s tribute, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). This prequel is a layered story providing a backstory of the Hunger Games’ main antagonist, while also exploring the story of a new character, one who comes from Panem’s poorest district, that Katniss Everdeen herself also belongs to.
The movie being set decades before the first Hunger Games novel explains the setting’s vintage feel; from the color schemes, TVs, clothing, etc. This can be attributed to being set just 10 years after the ‘Dark Days’ and the audience gets to see the Capitol, and particularly some of its citizens try and navigate getting life back to its original status. The Hunger Games in its early, horrific glory, is also a significant part of the novel, along with how the Capitol plans to further market and advertise this televised event. Some even speculate that this story is even darker than that of the original trilogy, due to the outright ruthlessness of the early Games.
The movie features stars such as Viola Davis playing Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Hunter Schaefer playing Tigris Snow, and Peter Dinklage playing Dean Casca Highbottom. The movie’s soundtrack also features artists such as Olivia Rodrigo. Reviews and reactions amongst movie critics have been nothing short of praise. From statements such as “the entire cast is phenomenal” and “Tom Blyth gives the performance of a lifetime” from film critic Tessa Smith to the movie being “right up there with Catching Fire” and it being great for “longtime fans of the Hunger Games and people who are brand new to the franchise” from critic Erik Davis. Overall, the anticipation was set for when it hit mainstream media, leaving the cast and storyline to be loved.
Having read the prequel, and being an avid Hunger Games fan, I enjoyed the movie. There were no unnecessary additions to the storyline, although I did notice quite a few things taken out from the book. The removal of some scenes was completely understandable due to how graphic they were, but I feel others would have added to the development of the story, and I missed them from the books. Of course, there is the issue of time and I would say that overall they did a pretty good job fitting the 500-page novel into a two-and-a-half-hour film. It kept me entertained, and even some scenes still caught me by surprise, despite knowing they were coming. So, I’d say if you’re looking for a new movie to watch, or are even debating watching it; do it.