Review: ‘A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’

*Spoilers ahead*

Katniss Everdeen was my idol when I was about 12 years old. It got to a weird point where I would wear my hair in a single braid off to the side just like she did. Thankfully I grew out of that phase, but the inner child in me came back when I saw “A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”

I went into the movie without having read the book and not knowing much context to what it was about other than what the trailer provided, and knowing it was President Snow’s backstory. I had my speculations that the movie was going to be just another Hollywood money grab, considering the list of awful prequels that exist. I had very high expectations for this film too because we were getting the same director of the other movies. Why revive a franchise just to make the anticipated movie dull? Well, “A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was anything but dull.

The film that released on Friday, Nov. 17, takes place during the 10th annual Hunger Games when Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) mentors Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). Snow is infatuated by her and tries everything in his power to not let her die in the games. He risks everything for her and gives her the advantage by cheating, which is discovered by Head Gamemaker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis). He is punished for his actions by being kicked out of the Academy and serves as a Peacekeeper, where Blyth then traumatizes the audience by shaving his luscious hair.

When Lucy gets chosen as a tribute for the hunger games, she does the iconic bow that Katniss did in “The Hunger Games.” This bow was not just a bow; it is very symbolic. Katniss did the same bow as a tactful way to get under Snow’s skin through Lucy. Both Katniss and Lucy are much alike in so many ways in how they stay true to themselves despite the attempts in being manipulated by the Capitol.

Another similarity that I noticed was some of the tributes teamed up like Cato and the others did in the 2012 first installment. That part of the movie was my least favorite because it reminded me too much of the first film. I wanted to see the tributes do something that was more unique and not reused. Coral (Mackenzie Lansing), who was the enemy team “leader” even hunted down Lucy, antagonized her and begged for mercy before she died. This was almost exactly how Cato went out. Although, it was snakes Coral was trialed with in her final moments and not mutts.

I love watching a character on screen go from somebody you are rooting for and just adore to somebody you hate and wish dead. That is how it felt watching Snow’s character development. I have not seen a bone-chilling transition like this since Walter White in “Breaking Bad.” For the first half of the film, he is trying to not be like his father who created the games, but then the second half you see how he starts to lose it. I would start to lose it too if I had to shave my hair to become a peacekeeper. Joking aside, the alteration in appearance with his hair I feel serves as symbolization for when he starts to go evil. I think this was a minor but unique aspect to the movie.

As a peacekeeper, Snow gets sent to District 12 where he reunites with Lucy after she wins. Their romance continues to blossom, and so do his true colors. He gets his closest friend killed, Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andres Rivera), who was also a peacekeeper. He betrays Sejanus in telling Dr. Gaul through a jabber jay, his plans with the rebels. Sejanus is sentenced to hanging, along with a man who was framed for murdering the mayor’s daughter, whom Snow killed. All of that is the pivotal moment in his transition to a radical leader in his later years. Carrying that guilt with him for the rest of his life changed him in the worst ways possible. The only other person left was Lucy.

Lucy begins to lose trust in Snow after he reveals he has killed three people. They run away together, and Lucy chooses to leave him. He goes looking for her and he gets bitten by a snake that she left for him. He shoots at her, but it is left unknown whether she died or survived him.

This moment was really captured through Olivia Rodrigo’s song featured on the soundtrack, “Can’t Catch Me Now.” Many fans wonder if Katniss is a descendent to Lucy, which the idea sounds interesting but it has not been confirmed.

This two hour and 38-minute movie was intriguing the entire time. Even though watching the prior films is not required before watching this film, it is highly recommended. It makes the entire watching experience more riveting. I am doubtful there will be any other movies in the future. I would probably be scared if they did a sequel because it would be incredulously difficult to make a better film. As Coriolanus Snow said, “Snow lands on top.”