Review: ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is an uneven but welcome addition to the world of Panem

By Connor Webber

Years before he became the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) was the last hope for his fading lineage. After becoming a mentor for the upcoming 10th Hunger Games, Snow’s life will forever change when he meets his assigned mentee from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler).

The Hunger Games is a series that I had the pleasure of growing up with; I was 8 when the first book was released and 12 when the first film was released. When the first film came out, I remember everyone talking about it (mostly because I grew up in North Carolina, and most of the film was shot in our state). I vividly remember seeing the first film in Charlotte, and the theater was so packed we had to sit in the third row on the far right. As most kids my age did after seeing the movie, I decided I would read the books, and from there, I was a fan. I saw all the movies on opening night with big groups of friends since everyone was a fan, it seemed.

However, a few years ago, when Suzanne Collins announced she was releasing a prologue to The Hunger Games series based on the early life of tyrant President Snow, I was not interested at all. So, going into seeing “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” I truly had no idea what to expect. While I walked out of the film feeling satisfied with what the story added to the lore of the Hunger Games universe, it was definitely not a perfect movie.

As mentioned, I had little to no expectations on what the story would deliver in terms of adding something meaningful to the President Snow character, and I definitely didn’t think it would make me want to go read/listen to the book for “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” But after seeing the film, I now have plans to do so. The story brilliantly uses Snow as a microscope to show audiences why and how the Hunger Games became what they were when Katniss Everdean’s name was reaped. I found myself really invested in just about everything Snow was doing throughout the film, due in part to the performance from Tom Blythe.

One thing that needed to be accomplished for this film to remotely work is that they somehow needed to make the character of Coriolanus Snow likable. Blythe does a fantastic job teetering the line between innocence and power-hungry, giving him time to shine even while sharing the screen with Viola Davis (as Dr. Volumina Gaul) and Peter Dinklage (as Hunger Games creator Casca Highbottom). Even though it felt like Blyth was carrying this film on his back, not even his acting could hide a bad screenplay. 

Usually, I don’t get caught up in screenplay issues unless it’s truly affecting the enjoyment of the movie, and unfortunately, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is plagued with lazy writing. Many of the screenplay issues stem from the fact that they originally intended the film to be split into two parts. From the outside looking in, they made the right decision. If they had split the film, the second part would have been bland, but because they decided to make “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” one film, it felt like they were cramming too much into the already 165-minute-long movie. It also seemed like they had to pick and choose moments to hone in on while they hung the others out to dry. This caused uneven pacing issues throughout the film; at times, the film felt like it was going at break-neck speed, while others felt like I was watching paint dry. However, do I feel the film would’ve benefited from being split into two movies? No.

While the intended audience isn’t people who don’t know anything about “The Hunger Games,” I do think someone going to see “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” without any knowledge of the other films and books will be very confused. And while it may be a prequel, the film treats its viewers as if they already know everything there is to know about Panem, and it doesn’t wait for you to catch up.

Regardless of the bad pacing and questionable screenplay, I still enjoyed myself, but that probably has a lot to do with being a fan of the franchise. Nevertheless, if the film intended to entice more people to read the book, it did an excellent job because I fully intend to purchase it.

SCORE: “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” – 3/5

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” is rated PG-13 and hits theaters Nov.17, 2023. There are no post-credit scenes.

Hunger Games in the Parks

If you’re looking to enter the world of Panem and “The Hunger Games,” plan a trip to visit Motiongate Dubai, where an area themed to Panem includes the “Capitol Bullet Train,” “Panem Ariel Tour,” and character meet and greets.