Director: Olivia Newman
Writer: Lucy Alibar Based on Where the Crawdads Sing novel by Delia Owens
Released: 2022
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson and Michael Hyatt
Perpetually disappointed with the quality of films since Covid – but I’ll save that for another post.
Where the Crawdads Sing had always been recommended to me as something I’d probably enjoy. But I brushed it off, as I dismissed it as a great trailer but probably just another one of Hollywood’s empty vessels.
After scrolling through Netflix for eternity one evening though, we decided to give it a go because there was LITERALLY nothing else to watch.
And from a sea of throw-away, cheaply made, one-watch-movies, emerged a coming-of-age mystery that gave me hope that good movies might still return to our screens.
If you – like me – enjoyed the coming-of-age and enchanting nature of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Little Miss Sunshine and Brooklyn.
But also – like me – enjoy the thriller/mystery aspect of Shutter Island, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
Aaaand – like me – love the Southern drawl of Walk the Line and The Help.
Then you’d probably adore Where the Crawdads Sing.
Long story short, it follows a young girl who lives out on the marshes of North Carolina. Nicknamed ‘Marsh Girl’, Kya grows up alone. As an adult, she becomes involved in a love triangle, and when one of the men is found dead, she’s accused of his murder while the truth slowly comes out.
How this movie has such low reviews… I have no idea. I think, by the sounds of it, the disappointment comes from this adaptation attempt of the book. But if you haven’t yet read the book (me) then you’re in luck!
Absolutely gripping, twisted, romantic and entrenched in the unique backdrop of rural North Carolina – acting like a character of its own.
You can read into this story as deeply as you like. But on the surface of it, it’s an enjoyable one. So at the very least it’ll entertain you for an evening. Or at best, you’ll find yourself thinking about it and peeling back the layers for months to come.
Just noticed it’s no longer on Netflix (typical!). It’s on Prime and AppleTV at the moment though.
8/10
Jodie
NZ Film Freak 