If you knew me in middle school/early high school, you would know I loved The Hunger Games. Not just loved. Full blown obsession. I read all the books, saw the first movie three times in the theater opening weekend, went to midnight premieres, spent hours scrolling through Hunger Games content on Tumblr… yes, I have always been the same obsessive and crazy person I am now. Only the obsessions have changed over time. The prequel book this film is based on came out years after the bulk of my interest in the franchise had passed so I never read it, but I was looking forward to seeing this movie for a chance to reconnect to that time in my life and to a world I was so invested in.

When the movie first came out, I saw a lot of overwhelmingly positive reactions to it online. But as more time passed, I began to see more and more negative reactions. I was even more curious to see it after the reviews were so mixed and wondered which side I would fall on. I really wanted to like this movie. As a former Hunger Games fanatic and fan of a bunch of the cast members, the odds were high that I would. But I have to say that I unfortunately really did not like this film.

I think the issue for me was mostly in the structure of the story. In many ways. Firstly, I know the story in general is intended to provide the backstory for President Snow, who we know from the original trilogy. But I thought Rachel Zegler’s character, Lucy Gray Baird, was going to be the main character that we follow, like Katniss in the previous films. And we would learn about Coriolanus Snow through her relationship with him. Instead, the movie is fully Snow’s story. We’re with him the entire time and only get to see Lucy Gray in relation to him. I don’t think Snow being the focus is necessarily the problem, but it’s what that does to the story that I don’t like.

To me, the center point of these stories are the games themselves. It’s right there in the title. That’s what’s interesting plot-wise and what the film should revolve around. The personal stakes and emotion all come out of that plot centerpiece. But Songbirds and Snakes reads much more like a comprehensive biography of Snow with this specific games, the 10th annual Hunger Games, being just one piece of the puzzle. Personally, I wasn’t interested in following Snow throughout the different phases of his life. I wanted to see how this one major event, working with Lucy Gray during the 10th annual games, changed him fundamentally and shaped him into the person he eventually became 60 years later. I didn’t need to see how multiple events and happenings over time accomplished this.

More specifically structurally, the film is divided into three chapters. They have different titles in the film but they are essentially: before the games, during the games, and after the games. In the 2 hour 40 minute film, I would estimate each chapter is given equal runtime. But they don’t have equal value. We needed to see way more of the lead up to the games and Lucy Gray and Snow bonding in that time and way less of the aftermath of the games. 

Kind of a spoiler but not really because it is basically telegraphed in the trailer and also just the fact that this is a YA story, but Lucy Gray Baird and Coriolanus Snow develop a romantic relationship. This relationship was a tough sell for me anyway just because of their circumstances. She is a tribute from a poor district, unfairly chosen to fight to the death, and he is a mostly privileged citizen of the Capital, immune from having to participate in the games, and tasked with on the surface helping her win the games but really just helping to put on a good show so that he can win a cash prize. It’s not a romantic setting, it is literally life or death so it’s hard enough to believe that Lucy Gray would have any interest in pursuing romance or feeling attraction to anyone in this moment. But even if she does, it all feels a little Stockholm Syndrome-y to me as she is literally held captive and, even though he’s not solely responsible for holding her there, he’s a major part of the system that is. With all of that to overcome, the movie does not spend enough time showing us Lucy Gray and Snow interacting before the games start in a way where we can see a spark develop. They have maybe two or three brief conversations before we’re supposed to believe they’ve fallen in love to the point where they’d risk their lives for each other. They needed to work a lot harder to make their love story believable instead of just relying on the fact that they are two attractive people interacting so we can just assume they’ll be in love. There was no anticipation or chemistry or flirting that made me excited for a romantic relationship to progress. I actually physically cringed in the theater when they kissed for the first time because nothing about the relationship felt earned. 

The time they needed to add to the pre-games section of the movie could have easily been taken from the post-games section. My ideal ratio would be 50% lead up, 40% games, and 10% aftermath. But the aftermath section of this movie doesn’t just serve to wrap up the story and set us on the path we know we end up on in the original Hunger Games trilogy 60 years later. It introduces multiple new storylines and tells almost an entirely different story from the first half of the film. To me, this last section felt like it went on and on and on and got worse and worse as it continued. I truly didn’t know when it would ever end. I know some of the storylines in there were meant to demonstrate Snow’s ruthlessness and how he always put himself first, but they easily could’ve cut all but one of the instances where we see that and it would’ve made the same point. It really just dragged out the movie unnecessarily and shifted the focus of the story away from the games as the center point. The end section should have more of an epilogue than an entirely new chapter of the story.

This movie was not all bad. One thing I did like was getting to see how the games evolved from what they were here in the 10th games to what we see in the first Hunger Games movie in the 74th games. They weren’t always the big spectacle, high technology event we’re used to seeing. They used to be much more like traditional gladiator fights to the death in a Colosseum-like arena. No parades, no costumes, no training, no intricately designed arenas, no frills. This, the 10th games, was the one that changed it all (thanks to Snow’s ideas) and helped it become the version we know and the version Katniss competed in. I enjoyed that aspect of the world building, getting to see the history and evolution of this horrible tradition and why and how the games came to operate the way they did.

The cast all did their best with what they were given. Rachel Zegler seems to be controversial for no reason at all. People just don’t like her. I don’t feel that way and I don’t understand it. I think she’s so incredibly talented (and is also a Swiftie so I have to love her). She was amazing in West Side Story and did not get nearly enough recognition for that, but honestly I cannot think of her without thinking of the first time I ever saw her which was in a video she posted on Twitter in high school singing “Shallow” from A Star is Born. That video blew me away then and still does now (seriously, watch this and tell me you don’t get full body chills). I could listen to her sing all day. However, this movie was not exactly the setting in which I wanted to see her singing. I get it was part of her character but it just felt weirdly out of place with the tone and subject matter. Also, what in the world was that accent she was doing? Tom Blyth who plays Snow has the tough job of making a character we know to end up being evil feel somewhat sympathetic (for better or worse). I love Hunter Schafer from Euphoria and my biggest complaint about her performance is that we don’t see enough of her in the movie. Viola Davis usually gives a film some gravitas but her performance here is so wacky it mostly just made me a little uncomfortable. But I do respect her just going for it.

I had high hopes for this movie and really just wanted so much more from it. I know I didn’t read the book and maybe this adaptation is completely book accurate. I understand the pressure to do that especially for a project that has such a rabid fanbase. Speaking for myself, I know how upset I get when movie adaptations change parts of books I love. But sometimes books just don’t totally translate into good movies and changes need to be made to make them entertaining as films that can work on their own outside of the books. Additionally, stories like this one are hard because they walk a really fine line. The “villain origin story” has been a popular genre of film as of late and sometimes they work and sometimes you question why we’re being made to care about and empathize with characters who are inherently bad. I’ve heard this movie described as the Hunger Games version of The Joker. It is essentially the origin story of a fascist dictator and I don’t know that that’s a story we need. I know it’s not that serious but I just dont think President Snow is a character I ever cared about knowing what made him evil or ever wanted to empathize with. Okay so a fascist dictator once had human feelings. Does that change anything about the way we should view him? I honestly don’t think so and I’m not sure the movie is clear on what it wants you to think either. That being said, none of that was key in my dislike of the movie. Like I said previously, I just think the way the film is structured does not serve the story at all and really did not work for me. Some people and Hunger Games fans really liked this movie. Maybe you will too! It really seems to be personal preference so don’t let my opinions stop you if you were interested in seeing this film. I hope everyone likes it more than I did!

2023 Count: 29 seasons, 53 movies, 1 special