Literature. The foundation of art and creativity. If not for books then cinema’s inception won’t be possible, because what drives one is the story and nothing else. The cinematic medium allows us to present our cherished literary narratives in the grandest fashion possible. Cinema as an artform is more than hundred years old now and yet to this day we can’t resist the temptation of adapting novels to the big screen. In fact, most of the cinematic masterpieces are adaptations. One of the most celebrated novels of the 21st century has to be Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games books. Much like the novels, the movies found immense success with over $2.970 billion worldwide across three films. During the pandemic, Collins gifted fans with another piece of fiction in the Hunger Games universe and less than three years later, we’ve the film to experience. Does The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes film keep up the quality of the first three? Has the book’s complex narrative been adapted successfully? Or did the cinematic medium once again let down literature? Let’s see whether the critics answer these questions of yours.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Reviews Round-Up
Josie Marie (Film Posers’) – “‘THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES’ is a hell of a rush. Refreshing to be back in Panem because of the nostalgia, but the most delightful part is the cast. From Hunter Schafer to Josh Andrés Rivera, it lives up to the original splendor of the franchise.”
Rama’s Screen – “‘THE HUNGER GAMES THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES’ was more gripping than the original. Suspenseful & gritty especially the tributes’ fights. Runtime could’ve been trimmed down & the ending could’ve been less ambiguous. But I liked it”
Jazz Tangcay (Variety) – “Viola Davis playing evil in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is everything I needed to see. Rachel Zegler is a marvel, and of course, Jason Schwartzman steals the show. In love with Trish Summerville’s costume design and the nods she pays to Katniss.”
Nora Dominick (BuzzFeed) – “‘ballad of songbirds and snakes’ was my favorite book in 2020, and i adored the movie. it felt like catching fire in all the best ways. backed by incredible performances by tom blyth, rachel zegler, viola davis, and more — watching it all come to life, oh man” Dominick went on to declare, “also, listen, i know it’s the ‘HUNGER GAMES’, but somehow ballad of songbirds and snakes felt darker and more high-stakes than any of the other previous movies. i cannot stress enough how much i loved how the movie took you through this story”
Fico Cangiano (CineXpress) – “#TheBalladOfSongbirdsAndSnakes is one of the best #TheHungerGames films. Coriolanus Snow’s “rise to power” story is well executed by F. Lawrence in this colder, twistier & more interesting prequel. Tom Blyth impresses, Rachel Zegler shines bright & Jason Schwartzman is hilarious.”
Daniel Howat (Next Best Picture) – “‘THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES’ is the best #HungerGames movie yet. It’s darker, more of a character study than anything, but always genuinely entertaining. With high stakes, solid action, and killer performances, it’s a thrilling return to Panem.” He went on to note, “It’s long for sure, but doesn’t drag. It works well by doing something fairly different from the first series. I had a great time with this one.”
BuzzFeed’s Lauren Garafano (BuzzFeed) – “also, having read the book and knowing how president snow is, tom blyth was so spot on with his performance — like he totally *got* the nuance of playing a character who wasn’t born evil but is a result of his own choices. there’s SUCH a shift in tone when coryo becomes snow” She noted, “and of course i fell in love with rachel zegler’s lucy gray, because literally how could you not??? rachel’s portrayal has hints of jennifer lawrence’s katniss, but at the same time is totally her own. also i could listen to “the hanging tree” forever it’s so good”
