The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

I loved it. A compelling story about how a vilain is made.

Even though the title promises a return to the brutal arenas that defined the “Hunger Games” franchise, the real strength of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” doesn’t lie in the Games themselves. This prequel, directed by Francis Lawrence, chooses to dive into something much darker and more fascinating: the origins of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), the villain we already know as Panem’s ruthless president (played by Donald Sutherland). Snow’s journey isn’t just a story of rising to power; it’s a cold, calculated exploration of how small, deliberate choices can shape a monster.

Right from the start, the film sets up a less polished Panem, still rebuilding its social structures after the war. This early setting feels irresistibly bleak, almost like unearthing ruins. The Games arena isn’t the high-tech spectacle we saw in the previous films—it’s raw, where survival is less about strategy and more about sheer brutality. This stripped-down approach makes the deaths hit harder and highlights the violence of the system as something almost handcrafted, but no less cruel. It’s the perfect backdrop for a story about manipulation and power.

Tom Blyth takes on the role of a young Snow with incredible skill. He introduces us to a character who starts as a fallen aristocrat, caught between nostalgia for a glorious past and the desperate need to build a future that mirrors that lost grandeur. Blyth nails Snow’s gradual transition: a young man who initially acts out of morally ambiguous justifications but, over time, sheds any pretense of purity. The gleam in his eyes as he manipulates situations and people is both magnetic and terrifying. This slow, almost insidious transformation is the film’s core and, without a doubt, its greatest narrative triumph.

Meanwhile, Rachel Zegler shines as Lucy Gray Baird, the District 12 tribute and the titular “songbird.” Zegler delivers a nuanced performance, seamlessly switching between vulnerability and charisma. Lucy Gray isn’t just a pawn in Snow’s hands; she’s a fascinating figure in her own right, using her music and magnetic presence as survival tools. The chemistry between Blyth and Zegler is a major highlight, full of palpable tension that mixes mistrust and mutual fascination. However, their relationship always carries a tragic weight, as both seem acutely aware that their personal agendas put them on a collision course.

The screenplay, written by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt, does a great job of delving into themes of power, morality, and spectacle. It leans on Snow’s moral ambiguity to create a constant sense of unease. You understand his choices, even when they’re repulsive, which makes him all the more unsettling. The layers of manipulation and sacrifice are particularly striking, especially as Snow begins to realize that control, not compassion, is his greatest weapon. This meticulous approach makes the story far more cerebral than emotional—which, depending on the audience, might be a strength or a weakness (not for me, though).

The supporting cast is outstanding. Viola Davis, as the sadistic Dr. Volumnia Gaul, steals every scene she’s in. Her performance is deliciously over-the-top but never veers into caricature. She embodies the institutionalized cruelty that defines the Games, and her interactions with Snow are chilling, as if she’s deliberately shaping him into the man we know he’ll become. Jason Schwartzman, as Lucky Flickerman, provides some darkly ironic comic relief, while Peter Dinklage adds unexpected moral weight to the film as Casca Highbottom, a character marked by regret and cynicism.

Visually, the movie is a triumph. Francis Lawrence and cinematographer Jo Willems craft a world that shifts seamlessly between opulence and desolation. The transition from the austere Capitol setting to the pastoral yet treacherous landscapes of the third act adds a fresh layer of tension. This section, though slower, is crucial for revealing the cracks in both Snow and Lucy Gray’s facades. The forest, with its eerie, almost fairy-tale quality, becomes the stage for the film’s most intimate and impactful moments.

At 157 minutes, the pacing is undeniably uneven. While the first two acts carefully build the world and characters with compelling detail, the third act slows down dramatically, almost feeling like a different movie. This contrast might throw some viewers off but also allows the story to breathe and reach a more emotionally charged climax. It’s in these final moments that the film solidifies itself as an essential part of the franchise, not just an add-on.

It’s particularly frustrating to see people label this film a “musical,” as that completely misses the mark of what defines the genre. For a movie to qualify as a musical, its songs need to advance the narrative naturally and emerge as an extension of the characters’ emotions or dialogues, unnoticed as performances within the scene. Here, however, every song Lucy Gray sings is presented explicitly as a performance for the people around her. That doesn’t make the film a musical.

Overall, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is more than just a prequel—it’s a character study that enriches the “Hunger Games” universe. It forces us to confront the roots of power and see how villains are often not born but shaped by choices, circumstances, and ambition. For fans of the saga, it’s a fascinating dive into a familiar story told from a new perspective. For newcomers, it’s an intriguing entry into a world where spectacle and violence are two sides of the same coin.

Very nice execution. Snow's descent into evil felt too rushed.

Not having been particularly obsessed with the Hunger Games franchise in the past, I was very surprised at how excited the promotion actually got me for the movie... which sometimes is to the detriment of a production when people go in with too high expectations. This also should just not have been that great of a movie, considering it’s a prequel to a 4-part (movie) franchise from a decade ago; and most of these resurrections just don’t tend to hit the spot. They’re simply cash cows. Excuse the pun, but the odds were not in its favor.

And despite all of that, my ass was sitting in that theater watching them [spoiler]land in that zoo cage together and watching the contrast between Lucy’s quickly growing trust in Snow and the other tributes with their mentors,[/spoiler] and they had me gagged just like that.

I genuinely think Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler’s friendship played an essential part in this movie. That is not to say they aren’t also simply super talented; there are just so many movies with household name actors that just don’t make you feel anything because the actors have zero chemistry. And these two just clearly worked really well together.

I look forward to seeing a lot more from Tom Blyth.

I think it's a great movie that adds a good back story to the hunger games saga. The worst thing for me was the pacing of the movie. I found act 1 and 2 to be outstanding, but I found the third act to be a bit long. Still, great end to the saga!

This was a very interesting hunger games prequel you can do so much with the hunger games universe and this was a great addition to the franchise.

Loved seeing how different literally everything was back then the capitals people are still posh but look normal not the crazy costumes make up we see in the future hunger games movies.

The games were so much different back then arena was just normal building they didn’t have the money to do the unique arena designs back then.

The games wasn’t really working as nobody was watching them,it was cool to find out Snow was the one who give the capital most of the ideas for games like sending in parachutes for the tributes and giving them interviews for the public to get to know them so they root for them.

Really liked the way this film was made showing the stages of Snow in Three parts, ( The mentor), (The Prize) and then (The peacekeeper) with him getting more darker each part Tom Blyth was a excellent casting choice he was the standout for sure.

Not a fan of Rachel Ziegler but I’ll give some credit here her chemistry with Blyth was really good and did actually like her character and the singing parts.

Towards the End Snow just got more psychotic shooting the governors daughter and also recording his friend Sejanus and sending it to the capital, in the end getting him hanged, I can see why he did with Sejanus trying to help the district people get away but he could got them both killed.

Snow and Lucy Gray finally scenes were so well done with her finding out who he really was after saying he killed 3 people instead of 2 she knew about, her putting snake under his mums scarf he give her made him totally turn to the Snow we knew in the future.

Lucy Gray’s mystery is actually really cool as we never seen her die and nether find what happened to her you nether see stuff like that films.

Snow going back to the Capital to Gaul and she asked what were games for and he said “ The world is one big arena to teach us who we truly are” is a very cool line showing him fully turn into snow even him poisoning Casca highbottom.


Overall was really impressed with this prequel and focusing on how Snow became how he was you don’t see villain characters given much backstory so definitely appreciate it.

Loved Olivia Rodrigo doing the them song to this “ can’t catch me now” great song fitted the film perfectly.

Nice the tension was good and kept me watching, but letting someone playing 18 who is actually 29 blows my mind.

The build up is really good and you the characters evolving. Makes me wonder what happened after the end.

I remember enjoying the hunger games and the flamboyant type of characters it had. This is no different except that I can't remember everything but it's like everything seems familiar from the names in the characters, but Peter Dinklage was brilliant in the movie and Violq Davis added flavor.

The Movie is split into three and you can tell why as the characters go through stages. I honestly really enjoyed the movie that it got me invested in the characters, can't wait for the next one.

i could go on about how good this movie was but i have to say tom blyth was the perfect cast for coryo!!! you could see the exact moment snow's decent into madness started through the micro-expressions of his eyes alone.

This prequel surpasses the trilogy, offering a deeper, more mature exploration of the harrowing cruelty within Panem and unraveling the enigmatic character of Snow. Certain actors deliver exceptional performances, while others maintain a commendable standard. While not flawless, the film is undeniably great; however, a more profound delve into Panem's backstory and the potential for improved casting in certain roles could have elevated it to perfection.