The Hunger Games The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is now available on Netflix and supporters have started referring to it as the 'greatest movie in the series'.
In fact, it has become so well-received that after premiering on Netflix earlier this week, it quickly rose to rank within the top 10.
Launched in November 2023, this action-packed adventure film draws inspiration from the 2020 book with the same title. It functions as a precursor to the immensely popular 2012 release *The Hunger Games*, starring... Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson.
Set many years before the legendary Mockingjay saga, this gripping and brilliant prequel explores how a youthful Coriolanus Snow began his journey—long before he rose to power as Panem’s most dreaded leader.
Well before he donned white suits and commanded rebellious attacks from above, Snow started off as yet another determined youth battling hardship to carve a path toward influence.
Portrayed by Tom Blyth, he exudes a disquieting blend of charisma, urgency, and cold authority, which makes his downfall seem not only unavoidable but also difficult to witness.
Opposite him is Rachel Zegler Portrayed as Lucy Gray Baird, a District 12 tribute whose captivating singing ability mesmerizes audiences and possesses a determination to live that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Katniss', although her character is far from being merely another version of the latter.
Lucy Gray isn’t portrayed as a typical rebel, and Zegler skillfully captures her essence through an electrifying portrayal.
Whether through her mesmerizing slow-tempo tracks or subtle stagecraft, she dominates every moment she appears in—and admirers just won’t cease discussing her impact.
'I appreciate how they created another powerful female lead without turning her into a mere copy of Katniss who just excels at fighting,' wrote user nogoodpho on Reddit.
A jaw-dropping performance by Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman alongside Viola Davis’s chilling portrayal of Dr. Gaul elevates this movie into a gripping blend of dystopian drama and musical spectacle—making it entirely worth watching.
Upon its release in late 2023, *Songbirds and Snakes* garnered divided reactions—certain reviewers praised its bold vision, whereas others found fault with its deliberate pacing and somber atmosphere.
Nevertheless, it earned a total of $349 million (£255.6 million), significantly surpassing its $100 million (£73.2 million) production cost.
Now that it’s available for streaming, viewers are taking another chance on it—along with its 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—and this round, they're thoroughly captivated.
The online world is abuzz with admiration, speculative discussions among fans, and triumphant 'I knew it all along' comments from those who were convinced the prequel was destined to shake things up.
NolanPflan commented: "I believe this film is unquestionably the finest one in The Hunger Games series."
I was completely hooked throughout the whole film and didn’t feel even a bit bored. My only hope is that they had pushed further and made the final act a complete three hours long—nonetheless, I'm quite satisfied with what we got," said @tacomasters. "This one really stands out as far superior compared to the previous four Hunger Games movies.
Yet another audience member, @karpaensi, commended the film, saying, "You can tell it's a great movie when it stays with you. After watching it, I haven’t stopped thinking about it throughout the entire day."
And they’re not wrong.
In contrast to the subsequent movies in the initial trilogy that placed greater emphasis on political themes and rebellion, *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes* includes the song "Can't Catch Me Now" from... Glastonbury headliner Olivia Rodrigo —maintains attention on the arena and the distorted origins of the show as we have come to understand it.
It's harsh, intense, and uncompromising in showing how quickly human pain can be transformed into spectacle—and how swiftly a frightened young man can descend into becoming something monstrous.
Francis Lawrence, director of *Catching Fire* (2013) and both parts of *Mockingjay* (Part 1 in 2014 and Part 2 in 2015), comes back with a keener vision, crafting a setting that feels grittier rather than polished—and it works brilliantly.
This is Panem at its weakest and most volatile, where the Capitol doesn’t appear as the refined force we’ve come to expect—it’s now synonymous with disorder, slowly discovering the immense power that fear holds.
Without revealing too much, it completely throws you off balance—and does so again just as you start regaining your footing.
Each person holds their own interpretation, and that diversity only adds to the enchantment.
"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
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