
Where the Crawdads Sing is an entertaining film whether you are a fan of the book, or have no history with the characters. Part murder mystery, part survival, part journey of the human spirit this story offers several layers of emotion. Not sure what to expect? Expect complete engagement.
Synopsis: A woman who raised herself in the marshes of the deep South becomes a suspect in the murder of a man she was once involved with.
The synopsis above is true but doesn’t come close to capturing the scope of the film. Fans of the book can speak more to that, but this review will be for those who have not read Delia Owens’ novel. The South in the late 1960s is a perfect setting for this tale. Small town ideals permeate the life of our main character, and drive her choices and ambitions. When she is thrown into the mix of a murder investigation all of those past hurts only add to the drama.
Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones) was abandoned at a young age and had to survive in the marsh lands. Because of this life most of the towns people refer to her only as The Marsh Girl. At the same time she has a spirit and inner beauty that the boys can’t resist. Tate (_) is one guy in particular who finds a way to break through her defenses. Winning Kya’s trust is another hurdle though.
Kya is a fantastic character and probably even more so on the written page. Here we get enough of her to form an attachment, and find her endearing. Daisy is a wonderful Kya and for someone raised in the marshes she has amazing dental features. That might be the only thing to take viewers out of the moment.
Told with a mix of current trial and flashbacks.
The story centers around the trial as Kya is charged with the murder of a local man. Along the way the film walks the viewer through the life of Kya that brought her to this moment.
There have been readers waiting years for this book to hit the big screen. There is always fear that Hollywood will not get it right. The hope here is that even though movies will never capture all the emotion of the novel that it does deliver the most important elements. This one certainly comes close.
Where the Crawdads Sing is rated PG-13 for sexual content and some violence including a sexual assault.