Start practicing your whistling skills because on November 17th, “The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was released in theaters. This prequel to the original four movies and three books follows a young Coriolanus Snow, starring up and coming actor Tom Blyth, and his journey to become the man we know from “The Hunger Games.” Although there is no Katniss, Peeta, or Gale (thankfully), we are introduced to a new character, Lucy Gray Baird. Played by the controversial Rachel Ziegler, Lucy, a tribute from District 12, is chosen for the 10th annual Hunger Games. Snow, in order to get prize money to help his family, has to ensure that Lucy, his tribute and her mentor, wins and is the last survivor. Through all of this, they fall in love, and we see Coriolanus Snow melt for her. But how does he become the coldhearted president we know him to be in “The Hunger Games?”  

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I should stress that I have not read the original “Hunger Games” books in a long time, and I have not yet had the chance to read “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” My mother, however, who has read all of the books, says the books were better. As someone going in blind, I do not think it was as good as the original films, but I think everyone acting in it was phenomenal. I saw Rachel Ziegler previously in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and was not impressed. Along with the controversies surrounding her starring in the new “Snow White” movie, where she was extremely vocal about her disdain for the old movie, I was concerned about her performance. However, she blew me away in this film and proved my earlier assumptions wrong. She was the perfect Lucy Gray Baird, and I hope to see her play more characters like this in the future.  

I think if you have time on a $5 movie Tuesday or are wanting to relive your “Hunger Games” era, I would definitely recommend going and seeing this film. “The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is playing in theaters everywhere, including The River Cinema 15 in East Grand Forks. “May the odds be ever in your favor.”  

Claire Arneson is a Dakota Student Section Editor. She can be reached at [email protected].