The newest edition of the Hunger Games franchise, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie, hit theaters on November 17, 2023.  The movie, featuring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, follows the story of 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow.  This movie takes place decades before the time of Katniss and Peeta and takes place around the 10th annual Hunger Games.  This was the first year of the Hunger Games where each tribute got a mentor. Coriolanus Snow was assigned the District 12 female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, who astounded everybody by singing at the reaping after she was chosen.  The first parts of the movie follow Coriolanus and Lucy Gray as they prepare for the games and Lucy Gray’s experience in the games.  But there is more at stake for Coriolanus than just Lucy Gray’s survival, so how far is he willing to go in order to ensure her success in the games?  Does Lucy Gray have what it takes to win?

This movie definitely deserves five stars, as the acting was amazing, and the movie captured the essence of the book really well.  The emotion and suspense in the movie made it enjoyable to watch and kept viewers interested, despite the long runtime of the movie.  The casting directors chose outstanding actors who portrayed the characters amazingly, and the visual effects were great.  This movie is definitely worth watching, especially if you’re a Hunger Games fan.