It’s 2015 and you just exited the movie theater after the long-awaited fourth and final “Hunger Games” installation: “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.” Everyone is reeling after the downfall of the tyrannical president of the fictional world of Panem, and the world is at peace as the credits roll. 

Eight years later, the “Hunger Games” prequel, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (TBOSAS) created a  revival of one of the most celebrated franchises in the 21st century, making its official debut on Nov. 17. The story follows Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) during his adolescence prior to becoming the president. 

Blyth and Rachel Zegler, who portrays Lucy Gray Baird, the female protagonist, did a spectacular job at bringing the characters to life. The movie is split into three parts: “The Mentor,” “The Games,” and “The Peacekeeper.” Each part follows Snow in the different eras of his life for a few months, giving viewers a deeper insight into who he was before he became the tyrannical president. The Games in question are he 10th Hunger Games, where Zegler’s character is a tribute from District 12.

The film begins with Snow in his apartment in the Capitol, the richest area in Panem, with his grandmother (Fionulla Flanagan) and cousin Tigris (Hunter Schafer) as he prepares for his tribute assignment. Once he’s assigned to Baird, they develop a blossoming friendship, which quickly turns romantic. By no means, though, is this movie a representation of what romance should be. Many fans were rooting for Snow and Baird to have a happy ending, even though they knew there wouldn’t be one because of the way the rest of Snow’s life played out.

The entire film is reminiscent of the original four movies, but what truly runs deep are the similarities between Baird and Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), the protagonist in the original movies. Both Everdeen and Baird hold themselves with outward confidence and family is important to the both of them, and fans have drawn comparisons between the two of them. Some have even gone as far as speculating a familial relationship between the two. However, Zegler made sure to highlight one key difference. “The difference between Lucy Gray and Katniss is that Lucy Gray is a performer forced to fight, and Katniss is a fighter forced to perform,” Zegler said during one of the red carpet events for the promotional tour. 

Many people were skeptical about the film when it was officially announced in 2020. Regardless, it seems like it was expected to be a commercial success because SAG-AFTRA agreed to let the cast go on their press tour for the movie in October, even though the writer’s strike was still happening. 

Zegler herself was faced with initial backlash over her role due to residual controversy behind her upcoming “Snow White” film. However, in the eyes of fans all over the world, this film has redeemed any of her past transgressions. The young actress has only been in three released movies, each a blockbuster, and audiences expect more to come. She even won a Best Actress Golden Globe as a result of her role in “West Side Story” back in 2022. Blyth, on the other hand, had a slower start in his career, but has undoubtedly taken off with this movie. Social media has been flooded with praise for him and his acting, along with edits of Snow.

Fans were pleased with the performances given by the leads, and many supporting characters. Foremost among those are Viola Davis, playing Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage, playing headmaster Casca Highbottom, Hunter Schafer reprising the role of Tigris (formerly played by Eugenie Bondurant in the original movies), and Josh Andrés Rivera, playing Sejanus Plinth. The actors did an incredible job of showing the shifts in character as the film progressed, the intensity of the situations they were placed in, and the portrayal of these multifaceted characters. 

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is now showing in theaters.