Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes...(A-)
It feels great to go to the movies and leave satisfied. This film was a masterfully orchestrated origin for President Snow. The movie meticulously moves his life, love, and search for freedom. Snow has one of the most developed character arch I've seen in a while.
By the end, you left kinda on his side. Tom Blyth led an amazing cast. Rachel Zegler was phenomenal, she brought a magnetic energy that begs for your attention. Along with near-flawless performances by Peter Dinklage - Tyrion Lannister and Viola Davis, the acting was as pure as water.
Seeing the more archaic version of the games was exciting. The visual storytelling was clean some moments could have used a little more TLC. Other than our main two characters we don't get much background on anyone else. Snow's best friend with a rich dad felt like he used his money to conveniently get the writers out of a jam. At its core, this was about love, friendship, and manipulation. Go check it out in theaters now!