Last Saturday, I got to see the new Hunger Games movie: “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” It’s not a sequel; it’s actually a prequel, so it doesn’t follow the story of the original Hunger Games trilogy. But it’s connected to the original story. The movie is about President Snow’s youth and a girl named Rachel Green from District 12. But in my opinion, and I think many would agree, it’s more than just that. It helps you understand why the Hunger Games exist, how they started, and President Snow’s role in it.
If you haven’t seen the earlier movies, my review might be a bit confusing. I assume you’ve read the books and know the plot.
I’d give this movie a solid 9 out of 10 if it stood alone. But because of the great connections that make all the Hunger Games movies more meaningful and the nostalgic feelings it brings, it’s a 10/10. The casting is really good; Tom Blythe is so fine that I had to remind myself he turns into the dictator we know to not to crush on him. The actress playing Lucy Gray fits the role perfectly. The story might be the best in the Hunger Games series. It shows the effects of the war and how Coriolanus Snow became evil—or more accurately, how he let the evil inside him come out. I actually think he was always evil (he killed three people when he was still considered good, including his only friend). And, contrary to what many think, I don’t believe Rachel and he were ever in love. They both used each other to get what they wanted. Rachel needed him to survive in the games, and Snow needed her to win the Plinth prize. And in the end, they both got what they wanted, in a way.
But there’s one thing missing in the movie, and it’s frustrating. We don’t know what happened to Rachel. I know it’s the same in the books, but it’s still frustrating. Did she finally become free, or did she die when Snow shot her? There are a lot of fan theories, but we’ll never know.
To finish my review, I want to talk about the scene I found most powerful. It’s when Tigris says, “You look just like your dad, Coriolanus,” in the last scene. Tigris always hated her dad and always called him Coryo. Suddenly calling her cousin, the one she sacrificed everything for, by a term of endearment shows how much he has changed.