The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes is currently the #1 movie worldwide, directed by Francis Lawrence. This movie is a prequel to the original Hunger Games movies and books, adapted from Suzanne Collins’ novel in 2020. It takes place during the 10th annual Hunger Games and is set 64 years before the events of the Hunger Games series. For this movie, perfection is an understatement. When the movie was announced in April, fans were excited to return to Panem. Everything was perfect: the casting, the songs, the cinematography, the story line, and the acting. Some even say it’s the best Hunger Games movie made.
The movie features Coriolanus Snow’s backstory. He wasn’t always as bad as he is in the main HG books, as he was a troubled 18 year old who lost his parents and was trying to follow in his father’s footsteps. He was hopeless when he met Lucy Gray Baird, who he would have to mentor in the games. He thought she could never win, until she sang. She made a big impression on the Capitol and suddenly Snow knew he could make a star out of her. He thought she was his ticket to the Plinth Prize.
In my opinion, Tom Blyth was perfectly cast as Coriolanus Snow. Some say it makes it hard to hate him because he is attractive, but I think it makes it better. Coriolanus being attractive makes us understand and experience how the characters fell for his tricks because of his charming nature. It helps build a character. Tom Blyth himself said, “I’m glad that people love him the way I do so they can really be let down when he goes the other way.” His charming looks keep people watching. Tom Blyth wasn’t a very popular actor before this, so I’m excited to see him grow as an actor and become more famous.
Rachel Zegler also played Lucy Gray Baird so well. She is what I picture when I think of Lucy Gray. She wasn’t going to take the role of Lucy Gray at first because she didn’t want to leave her family, but she changed her mind and accepted the role, which millions of people thank her for. She has the acting skills, the looks, and the voice. Lucy Gray is very witty and I feel like Rachel has that same energy. Her vocals are phenomenal during the movie. She sang her songs live on set. My favorite song that she sang is “Nothing You Can Take From Me.” I also love “The Ballad Of Lucy Gray Baird” and “Pure As The Driven Snow.” This is why I think Lucy Gray Baird was cast perfectly.
Before filming even started, Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler did a chemistry test on Zoom. According to director Francis Lawrence, Tom and Rachel had a “pretty magical” chemistry read. They are close friends, which makes their scenes more pure and real. There are many moments where they weren’t acting because they’re so close. You can tell from the movie and their interviews that Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler’s chemistry is off the charts. 
The movie is 2 hours and 30 minutes long, and I didn’t look at my phone once. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and I enjoyed every minute of this movie. It’s definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen. The Hunger Games franchise is the 21st highest film franchise of all time. The net worth of these 5 movies is 3.10 billion worldwide. If you love drama, thrillers, suspense, dystopian society, and tragic romance, this movie is for you.
