Recently, the prequel to the hit dystopian series “The Hunger Games” has been released; “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”.

On November 17, the movie released into theaters nationwide. Although the original trilogy was older, fans swarmed theaters so that they could see the prequel.

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” follows the former life of President Snow, the nation’s leader. It follows him as he is assigned to mentor someone (Lucy Gray) in a game to the death showing Snow’s life prior to becoming President, and his slow descent into violence.

This movie inspired a lot of nostalgia for me, as I grew up reading and watching “The Hunger Games” trilogy. 

I would rate it a 10/10, because it was a perfect combination. It goes in-depth on the hardships he experienced and how he overcame them in different ways. The movie also reveals Snow’s naturally violent behavior and exposes what he did to become the President. 

In addition to the storyline, the characters were perfectly cast. With Tom Blyth as Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray, both played their characters to a tee. the soundtrack features several hits, including Olivia Rodrigo’s “Can’t Catch Me Now” as well.

All in all, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a fantastic prequel for long-time fans, or even as a standalone movie.