The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes came to theaters in the United States Nov. 5. The movie was directed by Francis Lawrence and the leads are played by Rachel Zegler (Lucy Gray Baird) and Tom Blythe (Coriolanus Snow). 

This movie was filled with vibrant colors, rage, betrayal and the all around attractive Corilanus Snow.

The movie is based off of the best seller book, The Ballads of Songbird and Snakes written by Suzzane Collins. The story is about Snow’s early life before he becomes the president of Panem and how he meets Lucy Gray, his mentee in the 10th Annual Hunger Games. 

I felt so many different emotions while watching this vibrant movie. I believe it began when Lucy Gray started singing during the reaping ceremony. I had previously known Zegler to have this angelic soprano voice, the one I heard in the 2021 version of West Side Story when Zegler played Maria. However, when Lucy Gray sang, it was this deep, soulful, folk sound, almost the opposite of Maria. It seemed as if my heart and mind were floating when I experienced Lucy Gray’s singing for the first time. She’s the girl I wanted to be when I was little. Instead of a princess, I wanted to be a strong warrior woman filled with wonder and a soul filled with rebellion to fend for those I cared for. Lucy Gray is that. She wore this beautiful dress covered with delicate flowers. Perhaps all these characteristics make her a princess. 

I adored Lucy Gray, but I detested Snow by the end of the movie. Blythe delivered Snow incredibly well by increasing his wickedness throughout the duration of the movie. What an evil and psychotic human he was. Only a psycho can find a thrill in the pain of another human. 

During the Games, where Lucy had to fend for herself, she had other competitors. People who had pain and fear. Against their will, these people were thrown into an arena to slaughter each other in order not only to survive, but to achieve a victory so they would never have to go through this affliction again. 

Despite the negative, this was a beautiful movie. From the sets to the portrayal of a character, the movie delivered a sense of creativity and beauty through the imagination of the creators who brought the book to life. How I feel about this movie might be different then how you feel, but I rate this movie a 9.5/10 only because I have not read the book before. There were certain pieces in this movie that surprised me. I didn’t realize that Snow was in an academy or there was a girl named Lucy Gray who would leave a legacy on Snow.

You can see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theaters at Cinergy or Cinemark.