Good Morning Lovelies, 

Since I read the first book, I have been a massive fan of The Hunger Games trilogy and films. In fact, does anyone remember when I used to host, alongside a great friend of mine, the tweet along sessions? Well, now I feel like it could be the right time to bring them back with the home release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

Based on the Suzanne Collins book, the film is a prequel to the original stories, focusing on the young life of the villainous Coriolanus Snow, now played by Tom Blyth. Set in Panem, after the devastating war, the characters are revealed around a city trying to rebuild itself, whilst also facing the tenth annual Hunger Games. 

Trying to prevent the rich figures around him from finding out about his families money woes, Snow becomes the tribute to help fellow tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). However, much like Katniss Everdeen, the young woman is not one to follow the rules. 

Full of action, intrigue and the classic tropes that made fans out of all of us, it is an interesting breakdown of a character we all loved to hate. Snow’s story brings a new sense to why he was the way he was. The manipulation behind the figure is something that will make those who have never seen the original story love it even more. 

There are some faults with the film, as it fails to match up with the first three, yet it doesn’t make it any less appealing. It’s definitely worth a watch no matter if you have seen the previous features or not. It’s a bridge builder in a world we all hope to see return again in the future. With a fantastic cast, great story and familiar faces, this is one feature we can all get behind! 

4 Stars

Joey X