November 30, 2023 | ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | By Katie Rowley
Something about going home for break brings out the angsty middle schooler in me, and Thanksgiving Break was no different. In fact, this year’s break was worse than usual, due to the theatrical release of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” on Nov. 17.
I am a certified “Hunger Games” superfan. Since reading the original trilogy of books in my late elementary years, I have been hooked: watching the movies, re-reading the books, watching TikTok edits and reading fanfiction. So, when Suzanne Collins released the prequel novel in 2020 highlighting President Snow’s origin story, I was more than thrilled. And the movie surpassed any and all of my expectations.
The second I returned home I dragged my dad to the same movie theater where we had watched “Mockingjay Part 2” together in 2015. We settled into the slightly uncomfortable theater seats to watch the two hour and 38-minute movie unfold.
The Hollywood actor’s strike ended on Nov. 9. So, since promotion for the movie could actually be done, my social media feeds the week leading up to the release of the movie were laden with trailers and clips and interviews from the cast. I was a bit scared the best parts of the movie had already been showcased in the expedited week of promo, but boy was I wrong.
Split into three parts, as done in the book, viewers follow Coriolanus Snow, more famously known as President Snow, as he becomes a mentor for the District 12 female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, and eventually ends up as peacekeeper in the district.
I won’t give too much away because I highly recommend watching the film, but it was close to perfect. I would consider it the best Hunger Games movie since “Catching Fire.”
The casting was spot on. Tom Blyth, a British actor who is relatively unknown, stars as Snow. He is charming, funny, does a great American accent and is just so hot (even more so with a buzzcut, which is a talent.) I forgot he was supposed to be evil and manipulative, which, in my opinion, is the point.
As a viewer watching “The Hunger Games,” you become part of the world, a citizen of the capital. So, it makes sense that Snow’s charisma and looks lead the real audience into forgetting his faults, just as those traits lead the capital citizens into trusting and loving him.
Rachel Zegler, who, most recently, was under-fire for comments made about the live-action Snow White in which she plays the lead character, stars as Baird. Zegler is wonderful at portraying Baird as a kind yet strong woman who fails to let Snow manipulate her. Not only that, but she is a beautiful singer, and all of the songs performed throughout the movie were live.
The supporting cast, such as Viola Davis as Dr. Gaul and Hunter Schafer as Tigris, were phenomenal in their performances, helping develop both Blyth and Zegler’s characters while also remaining strong individual roles.
My only small gripe with this film was the amount of singing. There were moments, such as when Baird is reaped and starts singing during the reaping, that left me questioning if the musical elements were needed. But the title of the movie has the word ballad in it, so my complaints fall a bit short. Additionally, I cannot get enough of Olivia Rodrigo’s song, “Can’t Catch Me Now” which plays during the credits.
This film is amazing. From the acting to the pacing, to the cinematography, I couldn’t imagine a better way to reignite Hunger Games mania, and I cannot wait to watch it over and over again.