Movie Review # 540: Where The Crawdads Sing (2022)

Alright, well, I hope you all have been enjoying going through a string of movie reviews with me, especially since this is the last one that I do at least for this week. Today, we are going to review a film that is based on a mystery novel from apparently a few years ago that was written by author Delia Owens. Well, director Olivia Newman apparently decided to to adapt this film into a screenplay, and release this film just last month. So now, let’s talk about the film version that is based on the 2018 novel, Where The Crawdads Sing.

Plot: When a young adult female named Kya Clark (aka The Marsh Girl by the townspeople, and played by Daisy Edgar-Jones) is accused by the townspeople of murdering ex-boyfriend Chase Andrews (Harris Dickenson), she is forced to stand trial before the court to testify. Now, with the help of a lawyer named Tom Milton (David Strathairn), and friends, and family members of hers, will she be able to prove herself not guilty, or will she be proven guilty, and be forced to spend the rest of her life in prison?

Well, much like the last film that I reviewed, there is that element of suspense in Where The Crawdads Sing. However, unlike Black Phone, Where The Crawdads Sing at least doesn’t have music that could potentially feel creepy, and scary, and does end up acting more realistic this time around. Anyway, I just wanted to get that out of the way. That all being said, Where The Crawdads Sing is a really good film. First of all, the movie almost feels like one of those movie adaptations of one of those novels that was written by author Nicholas Sparks. I mean, be it movies like Message In A Bottle, The Last Song, A Walk To Remember, Where The Crawdads Sing, despite being based on a novel that was written by Delia Owens, instead of Nicholas Sparks, definitely has that feel of those movies that were based on his works. And definitely a good feeling too! Anyway, the film also does a fantastic job of portraying life in a realistic manner. The characters are also good, whether it be the main ones that are kindhearted people, or even the ones that end up being jerks from time to time. The way the story is structured is also clever. With there being flashbacks of the main character’s life from her childhood to when she’s an adult, it helps to not only develop her, as well as some of the other characters, but also help us have a better understanding of where she’s coming from, and sometimes some of the other characters too. Additionally, even if there are times where you might not always like some of the decisions that main character Kya Clark makes, at least you do have a better underdog where she’s coming from. Mychael Danna also does a fun job with the score. Be it the suspenseful moments, or even the more calm, and peaceful moments, Danna’s music is also really good. Speaking of music, if you want to stay for the end credits for at least a little bit, definitely do so, as there is an original song sung by Taylor Swift by the name of “Carolina.” Now even if that song doesn’t win an Oscar for Best Original Song, hopefully it will at least get an Oscar nomination for that song, as it is a very fun song. Finally, Where The Crawdads Sing is really well-paced with it’s story. Yeah, for being a little over two hours long, that is definitely a good thing, you know? The only potential flaw for this film is that some people might find themselves asking

And that’s my review for Where The Crawdads Sing. It is such a heartwarming film with well-developed characters, a well-paced story, and an overall good film that you may find yourself wanting to rewatch over, and over again. If you want to see a film with a good representation of life and does that in the right way, then all the more reason to see this film. How much the film follows the book, I’m not sure. Still, definitely go see it, and I’m sure you will enjoy it a lot.

Final Grade: A