I've never particularly been a fan of the Y/A Dystopia genre. Not only did the heteronormativity of every single dystopia franchise of the 2010's grate against my ears, but I also found myself personally drawn to different genres, never having been a huge fan of action in film. This lead me to have never seen a 'Hunger Games' film, to have very briefly seen one 'Divergent' film when I was 12, and to have only watched the 'Twilight Saga' with a group of friends from a sort of absurdist point of view. Jacob imprinting his 'wolf psyche' onto a newborn baby seemed to be a sound enough justification in my mind as to why i'd never been interested in this brand of film.
Nonetheless, I was given the opportunity to see the new Hunger Games film, 'A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'. I took this opportunity, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw. Having a decade of real-world time between the original hunger games and this prequel, it breaks many of the 'curses' typical Y/A film adaptations of the time have. The lead, Lucy Grey, has a real personality and drive, and refuses to bend to the whim of the male lead, Snow. (Though at times i'd argue they play with the trope of her being a damsel who can't fight for herself, which is ironic considering her placement in district 12, the 'roughest' district, and snow's raising in the prim and clean captial. But I rest my case.). My favourite peformance had to be Viola Davis as the 'Game Maker': She's excellent in everything but her intensity in this role was captivating and refreshing.
The film also has a surprising list of authentically disabled and queer actors involved, including an amputee and a young girl with Down Syndrome: Shout out to Sophie Sanchez! Going into the film I had zero expectation for there to be any disabled representation, and to have disabled characters who weren't just their disability was incredible- to that I'll give props. The Game Maker's glass eye was, however, part of her 'costume', which I found... interesting, considering Viola Davis has two well-formed, unharmed eyes already. Where they could have used contact lenses, they instead opted for CG, and though it doesn't massively degrade my enjoyment of her character it is worth noting as a last-ditch cry of refutal for authentic disability representation in Hollywood.
The plot itself was uninspiring to me, but I was gripped by the action, having not seen a Hunger Games film before. Some of the deaths were so unique and disturbing that i found myself with my hands over my mouth for at least half an hour of the runtime. The set design was incredible, particularly the auditorium, and the world felt 'old-future', in a way that didn't seem like a tacky steampunk recreation.
Overall, I'd recommend seeing the film if you're itching to see a spectacle film. The dystopia genre is still not for me, and I wouldn't see the film again, but it was a great viewing experience if nothing else.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
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