The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Snow lands on top
The movie left me on my toes for more than one reason
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes may be the best movie to release this year, if not this decade. (Lionsgate/Murray Close)
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes overtook theatres on Nov. 17, and left audiences amazed — myself included. This might blacklist me from the Hunger Games fandom, but I have never read the series. I know this makes me a social pariah, and I send my deepest condolences and apologies to the legend herself, Suzanne Collins.
Featuring the musical genius that is Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler, left me “shooketh,” along with the evil genius of head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul. The most important though was the introduction of Coriolanus Snow. While Snow in the original Hunger Games trilogy is hated, and rightfully so, young Coriolanus Snow had many fans questioning where their loyalties lie, including myself. Now before I get into it, this is my warning that spoilers lie ahead, so beware.
During the beginning of the movie, young Snow was a pretty face, but in his buzzcut era, I became a die-hard young Snow stan. Can we take a moment to appreciate the marvel that is Tom Blyth?
I would like to send a thank you to the director, Francis Lawrence, and the costume team for the absolute godly performance at the lake. Shirtless, abs, blonde buzzcut, abs, dog tags, abs, smile, abs. Did I mention the abdominal muscles?
While young Snow was mid-murder, my heart was beating a mile a minute. Not for the victims — they’re irrelevant — but for how amazing young Snow looks murdering someone. Am I allowed to say that? I should be allowed to say that, no? I had to remind myself that President Snow was responsible for the murders of some of my favourite tributes, but that was no longer enough.
When young Snow said, “Snow lands on top,” half of my theatre shouted, “On top of me.” I may or may not have been one of many members of the audience who fell in love with young Snow.
After watching the movie, I immediately started watching TikTok edits about Coriolanus Snow. Hunger Games fans had edits ready within hours, and for that, I thank them.
Usually, I would have labeled young Snow as the white boy flavour of the month, but I don’t think this infatuation is leaving any time soon. To my fellow Hunger Games fans, I salute you for your courage to be able to sit through the almost three hour movie without going insane.
Beyond the beauty that is young Snow, the movie was jaw-droppingly amazing. The storyline kept me on my toes, while the raw emotions on the actors’ faces and tributes’ deaths broke my heart. The scene that most spoke to me was when Reaper laid his fellow tributes to rest in honour and later died willingly.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes set up the horror the games would create in the districts that the original trilogy showcased. I would highly recommend watching the movie, not only because you get to watch Blyth’s biceps and pretty face dance around on a gigantic screen, but because it is one of the best movies of this year, if not this decade.
