Disclaimer: This article will be using content from both the book and movie adaptations of the entire Hunger Games series, including the prequel, so spoilers are included.
The Hunger Games series written by Suzanne Collins is one of the most prolific franchises to date. With three books and four movies debuting between 2008 and 2015, the series garnered a worldwide audience and achieved startling success throughout the trilogy and subsequent movie adaptations.
However, in 2020, Collins released a prequel to the original trilogy called The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The new novel followed Coriolanus Snow, the future president of Panem, and his role in the 10th annual Hunger Games as a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12- as well as the eventual fallout of their relationship. Eventually, it was announced that a movie adaptation would be released in November 2023.
Going into the movie there were mixed emotions about what people were expecting, but one thing was common among most fans- the importance of doing the message and story justice.
“There is a lot to portray correctly to get the full message across correctly for this book. In past years, other movies in this series have done well, however, I’ve seen other dystopian novels result poorly on screen, especially so far into the series like this new movie,” said junior Gabi Concepcion.
From the perspective of having read the book, the movie was surprisingly accurate to the source material. Save for some minor changes either to help with the run time or provide more shock value, the directors didn’t miss any big moments that are essential to the integrity of the story.
The setting was a well-rendered contrast to the shining pillar of wealth it is in the original trilogy, the characters were portrayed in a manner true to their original text counterparts, and all the messages and commentaries so well done in the book were apparent in the screen adaptation. However, there were a few things we would have liked to see included.
One of the only major differences between the sources that we found was the movie’s lack of focus on the Covey, Baird’s family and band, and their history. In the book, a large majority of the exposition in the third act pertains to the folklore behind the Covey, including how they get their names from the ballads they perform.
The Ballad of Lucy Gray provides a foreshadowing of her eventual fate to be lost forever without anyone knowing where she went, and we think that including this detail helps to contextualize the ending of the film and provides some finality to an otherwise open interpretation of whether Baird was dead or had just run away.
Another piece of exposition that we would have liked to see included was the mockingjays and their presence in District 12, which hold a great deal of importance with the connection that Baird will always be around to haunt Snow.
Over time, Snow comes to associate the mockingjays with Baird, so when she disappears, without his assured knowledge that she is gone forever, Katniss’s title of the Mockingjay six decades later, their continued presence in 12, and his eventual defeat all hold much more significance. Even though he got rid of her and she will be forgotten, Lucy Gray’s influence will live on in Panem and mock him until his very last moments.
Aside from exposition, the only other substantial difference was the actual events in the games themselves. The way the tributes treated each other and the order and manner in which most of them died were different from the book.
In the movie, most tributes make it to the arena and do not fall victim to outside factors, and once inside they take a much more offensive stance than they do in the book. In a way, this choice was ironic, seeing as how the “boringness” of the games is what drives Snow to push for them to become a more dramatized event in the future, but it was understandable that the filmmakers wanted a little more action in the second act.
Overall, the film was a true adaptation of Collins’ original material, and if the only qualms were things that did not alter the very fabric of the story’s meaning, then we can consider it a win.
For anyone who has not read the book, this movie is still a must-see. Its masterful worldbuilding partnered with emotional heartbreaks and light-hearted song throws the audience into the dystopian world Collins creates, leaving them on the edge of their seats.
The plot is easy to follow and the story is relatively isolated from the original series, making it digestible for new audiences while also cohesive to the original storyline for veteran fans.
We highly recommend this movie for anyone interested in the Hunger Games storyline or just a fun movie night with friends and family.
I am a senior at OH and so excited to be a Managing and Opinions Section Editor this year! I love working on 42Fifty, but I am also very involved in band and numerous honor societies here. Looking forward to doing great work this year!
My name is Sasha Pankuch and I am a junior here at OHS. This is my first year with 42Fifty too. I am very involved here at OHS; I am on the board of Student Council, I play the saxophone in the Panther Marching Band, and am a member of multiple honors societies!
I can’t read this yet because I haven’t made it to see the movie! However, your promising title reminds me that I need to get to the theater for this one. Thank you!
Obsessed with your writing styles! I love this
[…] and Snakes, the movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games prequel (which was reviewed by 42Fifty upon release last year), was an immense […]