Over Thanksgiving break, I was able to see the new “Hunger Games” movie, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” based off the book by Suzanne Collins.

In the weeks and even months leading up to the release of this movie, there was a lot of hype surrounding it in the media. The official trailer and behind the scenes footage flooded my social media, especially my TikTok. This was the most excited I had been for the release of a movie since “Barbie.”

When the books first came out, I read them all right away. As soon as a new book was released, I was eager to read it. My liking of the books never turned into any kind of obsession you may have seen on social media, but I definitely do not judge those who take it that far. 

Being a fan of the series, I tend to be annoyed when people say they dislike it since I believe the books are written so well. I think it is hard to keep a series going for so long while also being extremely popular. After watching the most recent release, I wondered if I would like this movie more than the original movies. My answer is yes, I do. 

A huge part of what I love about this movie and the series as a whole is the clothes. I love to see what the Capitol people are wearing, and this movie did not disappoint. The main character, Lucy Gray, has a signature dress that is ruffled and colorful which was one of my favorites from the movie. Young Snow had a deep red monochromatic look that I also thoroughly enjoyed, and of course he gave us the introduction of the signature rose pin. I also thought the casting of Hunter Schafer as young Tigris was a perfect match.

For some, this might be a pretty hot take. For me, I enjoyed learning the background of the Games and how they came to be. I think this gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rest of the movies. 

As I have seen on social media, there are a lot of people who did not understand that “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” would have actual singing in it. Personally, I thought the music was amazing and the songs have been stuck in my head since I went to the theater. It shocked me that there were people who did not understand that there would be singing from the main characters. Even though I did not read the newest book, I still understood the concept of the movie going into it. I felt that the music added to the story and tied it in with the previous movies. 

However, similar to the other movies, there was a lot of death and heartbreak. As a more emotional person, it was hard for me to watch some of my favorite tributes go. There were lots of unexpected twists and the movie kept me on the edge of my seat. Overall, I think every “Hunger Games” fan will find the movie worth their while as this is my favorite movie that I have seen in years.