The Hunger Games prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” debuted Friday, Nov 17th. The movie is expected to gain a small box office revenue compared to the former movies of this film franchise. Projected to earn half of the profit of the preceding films which averaged around $100 million, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” has received harsh criticism for the duration of the film in which the ‘wow factor’ of past movies, where the audience is engaged through the action and thrill, is lack luster. 

The film, with a star-studded cast including Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, and Rachel Zegler released on Nov 17th, 2023, received a 61% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 90 reviews. It came after an eventful year for films, considering Hollywood’s recent strikes which resulted in major impacts for moviegoers.

Critics expressed their frustrations with the movie for its lack of appeal. 

“The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes? More like Ballad of Yawns & Snore.” One Rotten Tomatoes critic expressed. 

On the other hand, some critics have appreciated the film. 

“Ballad is a satisfying, well-acted melodrama with moral gray areas and real stakes for its characters,” stated another Rotten Tomatoes critic.