Coriolanus Snow mentors and develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games.
“The Hunger Games” is a beloved YA franchise. This latest film is an adaptation of the prequel novel, which revolves around a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), the villain of the main franchise; Snow is a mentor for Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from District 12, in the upcoming 10th Hunger Games.
This film is a faithful adaptation of the novel I read, so I was already familiar with the story’s beats. Director Francis Lawrence returns to helm this film, so the tone and style are consistent with the previous “Hunger Games” films.
There are some big names in this picture—Viola Davis stars as the Gamemaker of this year’s games, Dr. Gaul. Peter Dinklage plays the creator of The Hunger Games, Casca Highbottom. Highbottom is a drunkard who is spiteful to the Snow family, so the character feels similar to Tyrion in “Game of Thrones.” Viola Davis’s character is very cartoonish, and she is certainly going for it in this film. She is not a big part of this film, so I didn’t mind her performance, but it does feel weird to see her act over the top compared to her usual powerhouse performances.
I have never seen Tom Blyth before, but he certainly shines in this film. This film dives deep into Snow, and I think Byth effectively evokes some sympathy from the viewer. Despite being in the Capital, the Snow family struggles to make ends meet. Snow is trying to manipulate people and events in the film not just for personal gains but also for his family. In other words, Snow does not start as evil; he grows into it, partly thanks to the Hunger Games.
Rachel Zegler is also suitable as Lucy Gray. She is not like the infamous Katniss Everdeen. She is a singer and performer. Despite Zegler’s impressive singing talent, we could have cut down on the songs. And despite the compelling performances of the two leads, I never really bought their romance.
This is only the 10th Hunger Games, so it lacks the grandiosity of the previous games. These games aren’t as high-tech, and there are no Capital-engineered traps. It is just children killing to survive while the Capital tries to market the Games better to keep people invested.
The last third of this film is a bit unexpected for non-book readers and may not work for some, but I was most captivated by this final act, which dives deep into the character and mentality of Coriolanus Snow.
Are people clamoring for a President Snow origin story? No. Because of that, this film feels unnecessary. Hollywood continues to exacerbate anything IP-related to try to draw people to theaters. At the end of the day, though, I did find “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” to be a worthy addition to “The Hunger Games” franchise.
In Theaters Friday, November 17th
