Samantha Sollitto Journalism Portfolio

In a world pre-Katniss and Peeta, it’s hard to believe that anyone would really take interest in characters we’ve yet to meet and don’t really want to know (I’m looking at you Coriolanus Snow). Yet, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes provides not only a beautifully deep backstory to the wretched President of Panem, it also tells us the story of Lucy Gray, one of Snow’s first victims. 

Although the movie does cut some parts of the book that are a bit important when it comes to the normal Hunger Games timeline (i.e.: how they got the Victor’s Village and monetary prizes), Francis Lawrence does a splendid job of staying true to the novel, pulling direct quotes from all the characters. 

Tom Blyth, who portrayed the villainous Snow, delivered a wonderfully complex performance, truly captivating the audience with the way he was able to show the descent into madness. Snow was not born evil, but rather a product of the environment he grew up in similar to Lucy Gray, played by Rachel Zegler, who’s inherent nature was always on the move given her history as part of The Covey. 

While Blyth and Zegler both delivered stellar performances in their own right, when they were on screen together, there was much to be desired. Blyth seemingly had more chemistry with Hunter Schafer, who played his cousin Tigris, and Josh Andrés Rivera, who played his best friend Sejanus. 

In addition to this, Schafer and Rivera also entirely outperformed the leads in many ways. Rivera gave a heart wrenching performance as the poor Sejanus, whose life was destined for misery and grief given his district-turned-Capitol family. Schafer, with what little screen time she had, absolutely stole the show with her ability to captivate the audience with her childlike innocence yet motherlike instincts for her younger cousin, only to be crushed by the realization that Snow had become exactly like his father. 

Viola Davis gave a terrifyingly insane performance as the equally terrifyingly insane Dr. Gaul and perhaps, an underrated hero of the movie was Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, the light-hearted and tone-deaf host of the 10th Hunger Games. 

Although Zegler may not have been able to convince the audience of her relationship with Blyth’s Snow, there is no doubt that she can certainly hold the audience with her vocals. The songs in the movie not only served the narrative well, they also allowed Zegler to shine through in ways that acting had not. 

With beautiful imagery and stroke-inducing foreshadowing, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cements itself as one of the best Hunger Games films. If you were worried about the lack of Katniss throughout the film, Lawrence assures you that she’s been there since the very beginning of President Snow’s reign.