The Hunger Games has always been a dark franchise. Unlike other popular series aimed at teens, it's not an escapist fantasy, and despite its prevalence in media coverage, the love triangle is not the true focus of the story. Instead, it's a gripping cautionary tale about an oppressive government that forces 24 children to fight each other to the death every year and turns it into a televised spectacle. The very concept of the Hunger Games is horrifying, but the franchise's prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, manages to make the event even more brutal.
Source：https://www.cbr.com/the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-darker-than-hunger-games/
