Where the Crawdads Sing

What classic murder mysteries inevitably must have is a 'who-done-it' which you will not guess. This story will have you ponder to be sure and when you're certain you have figured it out you are surprised not once but twice. It is the reason I call it a classic.

Not only is it a murder mystery, it is a romance drama worthy of awards. The Novel on which it is based, by Dalia Owens, was at the very top of the New York Times best sellers in 2019 and in 2020, after which it remained on the list to date. It sold over 15 million copies; that's saying something. I certainly found it very moving. The main character, Kya Clark, played oh so well by Daisy Edgar-Jones (and earlier as a child by Jojo Regina), is a unique character, much like the character Nell from the 1994 Oscar winning movie, was a unique character. Kya however is a highly developed survivalist, with so many great qualities for you to discover and like, not the least of which is her love of nature. That in itself lended the movie to great cinematographic opportunities, and it is not lacking in that; in fact it made me love the movie even more.

You may not get much from reading the IMDb storyline, but why would you want to spoil the experience; so, I'm avoiding those here. The complexities of human behaviour is explored, exposed and certainly exploited to our benefit with refreshing subtleties. Would I recommend this movie? Oh yes, absolutely.

No way these people, especially kya, showered every day.

Give it a little grit.

Cinematography was beautiful. But the whole story was rushed and hallmark-ized. Plus the entire trial, which was full of gotcha moments in the book, was glazed over with a boredom lens. So disappointed.

This film was a great watch with an even better theme of discrimination, isolation and humanity. The performances of Daisy Edgar-Jones and David Strathairn were the main strong points for me. Their relationship and his unrelenting desire to give her a good defense regardless of her ostracization and stimga she receives really showcase the hope and care we have for one another. I get a similar vibe about Strathairn as I do from Gregory Peck as Atticus in To kill a mockingbird. There are some deeper themes of abuse that run throughout and are critical for the film but I won't go into detail as I don't want to spoil anything. However there is a great twist at the end which completely changed the way you view the entire film and would make a second watch much more enjoyable. The cinematography of this film is so well done as it perfectly captures the beauty and tranquility of the marsh and it's overall vast size. The one main downside of the film is that the pacing sometimes felt needlessly slow which took away from the high stakes court case and I felt there was numerous scenes which could have been shortened and still have the same impact and exposition. Overall the film is definitely worth a watch, it definitely takes you on an emotional rollercoaster leaving you almost overwhelmed after watching it.

Read the book. Loved it. This is not one of those reviews that says movie ruined the book. It is different in the book tho. Daisy Edgar Jones is a great actress and does nothing wrong here but is totally unlike the vision of Kya in my head. The best thing about the movie is the cinematography. With no sound this movie would be lush. The dialogue is clunky though, a lot of the supporting actors wooden particularly the love interests. The courtroom scenes are predictable. David Straitharn is great as a cut price Atticus Finch. The middle section of the movie lags and feels like a Hallmark movie , however by the end I was sucked in and left the cinema smiling.

Plot synopsis without spoilers is basically a young girl fending for herself in the marshlands is charged with murder.

Better than the mainstream reviews suggest.

Without reading the book you will probably enjoy what this film has to offer. Read the book and you will find that this film could have offered so much more.

The film skims only the surface of what Kya and her Marsh have to offer. The depths remain untouched, unexplored.

Kya's story is told but not felt. Her loneliness, her isolation, her survival. Her profound connection to the nature that surrounds her.

I didn't want to be disappointed. I was looking forward to the story being brought to life. I thought Kya was cast well. The images of the Marsh were beautiful. But something was missing. I didn't just want to see. I wanted to feel too.