Even though there didn’t seem to be much hype leading up to The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ release, last week’s social media responses were surprisingly positive—some even praising it as the best installment in the five-film series.
Though the general consensus is still favorable, the entire review embargo has been lifted earlier today, and these decisions so paint a slightly different picture.
The prequel film presently has a respectable 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, according to the site’s initial analysis. However, as there have only been 39 verdicts counted thus far, the score is bound to change.
By clicking the following link, you may monitor the score and gain a deeper understanding of the film’s critical reception. The movie has also published an extended sequence from early on.
The first reviews are in for #TheHungerGames: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes - currently it's Fresh at 70% on the Tomatometer, with 30 reviews: https://t.co/4ZW48791Gk pic.twitter.com/Dwirdawyv6
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) November 9, 2023
This is the story of The Hunger Games, set decades before Coriolanus Snow became the despotic President of Panem and 64 years before Katniss Everdeen offered herself as a tribute. Taking place in a post-war Capitol, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes centers on a young Coriolanus who represents the final chance for his family, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace.
Threatened by the loss of his livelihood, Snow grudgingly accepts the role of mentor to Lucy Gray Baird, a girl from the impoverished District 12. However, as Lucy Gray’s charisma captures Panem’s audience, Snow recognizes a chance to change their destiny. Snow teams up with Lucy Gray to change the odds in their favor as everything he has worked so hard for hangs in the balance. Fighting his natural tendencies toward good and evil, Snow embarks on a mad dash for survival to find out whether he will end up a snake or a songbird.
Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, and Peter Dinklage are among the cast members.
On November 17, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will open in theaters.
