The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Year: 2023

Runtime: 2 h 37 m

Language: English

Director: Francis Lawrence

Echo Score: 62

Budget: $100M

ActionAdventureDramaSci-FiThrillerWar

Set in a war-torn Panem years before the events of the original films, this story follows a young Coriolanus Snow as he’s assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from the impoverished District 12. Facing financial ruin and eager to restore his family’s prestige, Snow sees this as an opportunity to prove himself. As the 10th Hunger Games unfolds, he finds himself unexpectedly drawn to his rebellious and captivating tribute, navigating a complex and dangerous situation that will shape his future.

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In a fractured Panem still healing from rebellion, the Capitol clings to grandeur while its districts scrape for survival. The early Hunger Games loom as a brutal spectacle designed to remind the world of the Capitol’s power, and the atmosphere is thick with a blend of opulent decadence and underlying desperation. Against this backdrop, a young Coriolanus Snow carries the weight of a fallen family name, his future tied to a coveted scholarship that could restore his once‑proud lineage.

The Academy selects him, along with a handful of peers, to mentor a tribute—an honor that suddenly feels like a high‑stakes gamble. His charge is Lucy Gray Baird, a charismatic youth from the impoverished District 12 whose voice and spirit hint at something wild and untamed. Their first encounter is charged with a tense mixture of curiosity and obligation, as each senses the other’s hidden motives and the unspoken rules of a world where survival is both a sport and a political tool.

As the Games draw near, the Capitol’s glittering surface reveals a restless hunger for novelty. Mentors are expected not just to coach but to captivate, turning every moment into performance. The streets hum with rumors, the arena promises unknown challenges, and the very notion of mentorship becomes a delicate dance between guidance and manipulation. Within this environment, Coriolanus must balance his ambition with the unexpected bond forming with Lucy, whose defiant charm threatens to upend his carefully plotted path.

The film settles into a tone that is both ominous and wistful, painting a world where power structures are as fragile as they are imposing. It teases the uneasy partnership between a calculating heir of the Capitol and a rebellious tribute from the outskirts, setting the stage for choices that will shape the destinies of both men and women in a society teetering on the edge of transformation.

Last Updated: August 09, 2025 at 20:23

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