via Flickering Myth

Based on the prequel book of the same name, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes precedes the critically acclaimed trilogy of The Hunger Games by 64 years and tells the story of Coriolanus Snow long before he becomes Panem’s longest-reigning tyrant. Let us tell you all about it!

The World of Panem:

The dystopian world of Panem is composed of districts ruled by the capitol, each providing it with a commodity, ranking from District 1, the most successful and wealthiest district, all the way to District 12, the poorest. 

The Hunger Games were created to remind the districts of the dark days during the uprising and war that lasted three years. A selected male and female child from each district are thrown into the arena to fight to the death until one victor remains. 

Long before the era of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the capital we see in the prequel isn’t the same well-oiled one that we saw in the Hunger Games franchise. It’s ridden with post-war struggles, and the Hunger Games are still underdeveloped and, therefore, are less watched by the citizens. 

Coriolanus Snow’s Background Story:

via Hollywood Reporter

Coriolanus Snow, son of Panem’s previous president, is left orphaned along with his cousin Tigris. Their only surviving family is their grandmother, who has not a cent to her name and is struggling to pay the rent.

Coriolanus is a student at the academy along with the sons and daughters of the wealthiest and most influential leaders of the capital, hiding his poverty and working hard to earn enough money to keep his family alive. 

Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow:

via Looper

Coriolanus Snow is played by viral TikTok sensation Tom Blyth, a British actor best known for his performance in Billy the Kid, the American western drama series set in the 19th century. Tom Blyth wears a flowy blonde wig that makes your heart swoon, along with his intense blue eyes that pierce your soul. 

The actor has managed to truly embody the struggle of young president-to-be Snow in his search for money, wealth, and power, all the while unexpectedly falling for Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler. 

via ABC News

Young Snow is instantly entranced by her beautiful voice and even breaks the rules to save her life in the Hunger Games arena, simultaneously earning himself the monetary award he seeks. Tom Blyth brings to life a complicated character, raised by his cousin to be kind and good but still getting a taste of violence and power and liking it. 

Tom manages to capture our sympathies for his character with his heartfelt performance, portraying the embodiment of all men who start out as good but are ultimately the byproduct of their environment, leaving us with the best villain origin story we’ve seen in a while on film. 

Lucy Gray:

via Variety

Rachel Zegler, while having received tons of criticism from her red-carpet interviews regarding the snow-white live adaptation movie, has proved to be a strong performer and singer during her performance in the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

The southern accent given to her character, Lucy Gray, is unnecessary, takes away from her performance, and doesn’t fit in the dystopian world she is supposed to be part of.

Why You Need to Watch This Prequel:

via Koicine

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes loops us in on how the Hunger Games evolved to be the intricate and well-planned reality show with thousands of people tuning in to watch. 

We get to experience the origin of the famous Hanging Tree song, the anthem of the revolution later led by Katniss, finding out that Lucy Gray wrote it. This gives us a perspective that President Snow had to watch his reign end while being reminded of his past lover and heartbreak. In fact, President Snow is intimidated by Katniss because she reminds him of Lucy Gray. 

via NBC News

The movie does not shy away from the ugliness that the Hunger Games represent; the characters are well-played and well-written, showing their true colours, regardless of how cruel and ruthless they may be.

While the movie is well executed, it seems to be a bit rushed, not giving the characters enough time to develop, and perhaps needed to be divided into two parts to truly understand the characters and have an ending that doesn’t seem abrupt. The ambiguous disappearance of Lucy Gray at the end does allow the imagination to roam and leaves room for the viewer to make their own interpretations.