David Farnor | On 13, Jan 2024

Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman
Certificate: 12

Katniss Everdeen. One of the many things that The Hunger Games series taught us is that a movement needs a key figurehead to catch fire. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the latest in the franchise, reinforces that sentiment: this prequel is sorely missing her presence.

Based on Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same title, the story switches perspective: here, we follow the trials and tribulations of president-to-be Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth). Something of an outsider in the Capitol, we find him struggling to fit in as he pretends that his family isn’t on the brink of poverty, hoping to curry favour and money through his academic efforts. His plans go awry, however, when his class are assigned as mentors to the latest batch of contestants in the Hunger Games.

And so Snow winds up having to guide and protect Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler), a musician from District 12 whose boisterous singing and charismatic confidence swiftly win people’s sympathies – him included. What begins as a concerted effort to keep her alive and win a cash prize becomes muddled with their burgeoning mutual attraction, and their bond is amplified by the trauma they share.

That’s where The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes really excels, as it provides a fresh view of the Hunger Games. Lawrence captures the harrowing carnage with heightened immediacy, while leaning into the cruelty of its presentation as propaganda. The intensity of the set pieces are contrasted wonderfully with Jason Scwartzman letting lose as “Lucky” Flickerman, the smarmy host fronting the TV coverage. The costumes and architecture of the Capitol are more vibrant than ever, juxtaposed with the hardships of real life in the other districts – and that disparity has only become more pertinent and timely for franchise for fans.

After the Hunger Games reach their conclusion, though, the film loses that energy and momentum. Instead, it falls to Coriolanus and Lucy to keep us hooked. There is genuine tension in the mix of moral dilemmas and romantic frisson. Zegler is entertaining as the confident musician, while Blyth captures the confusion of a young man still trying to work out his own beliefs and motivations.

But with so much time spent setting the scene, the script’s final third rushes sowing the seeds for Snow’s eventual transformation into the mad, power-hungry dictator we know – a key friendship with the conflicted Sejanus (Josh Andres Rivera) feels too on-the-nose to be thought-provoking. That means this ballad ends on a whimper rather than a bang. Some explosive support from Viola Davis as sadistic game-maker Gaul and Peter Dinklage as Snow’s regret-ridden university dean, Casca, however, ensure there are still sparks to admire, even if it doesn’t ignite into something more.

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