Review of Where the Crawdads Sing, directed by Olivia Newman

I remember when Where the Crawdads Sing, in its original book form, was released into the world. Every time I went to the bookstore I saw it at the front of the new fiction and bestseller sections, and I felt like I was being forced into reading it. I tend to avoid books when they explode in popularity, so I did indeed avoid reading it.

When the movie came out, I had no interest in seeing it either. The problem I had with the original book synopsis is that I had no interest in it, so that meant the movie was also in the same exact territory for me. So when it was in theaters, I didn’t see the movie.

How did I end up watching it? When I was waiting to go to South Korea for a scholarship, I had just finished up my master’s degree and had way too much free time. That meant I was watching too many movies, and this was one of them.

It also helped that I noticed Harris Dickinson was in it. I’m no fangirl, but of his movies that have been released into the world, I largely have liked them. And that was how I was giving this movie a chance.

Here are my thoughts and summary!

In the late 1960s, an ostracized girl is accused of murder.

This movie begins with a murder: local darling and quarterback Chase has been found dead. His corpse was at the bottom of a fire tower, and they think that he either fell by his own fault, or a killer has done it. The evidence is gone due to high tide, but his shell necklace is missing.

We learn that Kya, who is considered an outcast in this town, has been charged with his murder. The film moves back in time to her story when attorney Tom goes to visit her, as he plans on giving her a chance and representing her in court.

Kya was born in a poor family within the marshes of North Carolina. Her father is abusive and alcoholic, leading her entire family to leave one by one, until Kya is left behind. He leaves her too though, and from the age of seven onwards, she was left to her own devices. To survive, she would scavenge mussels and sell them.

The town already saw her as an outsider and dubbed her the Marsh Girl. An older boy named Tate takes it upon himself to teach her and give a basic education, and when she grows up, they start dating. He tells her he will come back for her on the fourth of July as he heads to college, but he doesn’t show up.

Five years go by, and Kya is dating Chase. Their relationship is serious, and we see how Kya makes him the shell necklace. She no longer is selling mussels; she sells art and writing in order to make a modest income. But soon after, Tate comes back into town and wants to date Kya.

She doesn’t seem too confident about this, but then she discovers Chase is already engaged. Her older brother then reappears and says their mother is dead. Not long after that, Chase tries to rape her and she decides she will kill him if he is unable to leave her behind.

However, a fisherman hears her threatening him with that, and Chase comes not longer after that and wrecks her home.

In the present day, Kya prepares for her trial. The prosecution frames her as someone who disguised herself to lure Chase in and kill him. Kya had an alibi though, as she was meeting with a book publisher in another city. She is found not guilty because of this, and the necklace.

Tate and Kya marry. She continues publishing books, and eventually she passes away while in her boat on the marsh. Tate goes through her things and realizes that she probably killed Chase. He then finds the missing necklace, and then he promptly throws it into the marsh.

Overall Thoughts

I found this to be an interesting story, but it was missing something. I think it’s pretty obvious in some ways that she did this, even when the pieces come together about how exactly everything unfolded.

Perhaps this is a movie about the journey of getting to that tension exploding, but I didn’t find it particularly compelling. For a movie that’s also largely based in reality, not in fictionalized takes of the world we know, I find some parts of how she made money or survived to be questionable as well.

Like no one thought to help this girl? It wouldn’t be an interesting tale if they did, perhaps, but it could’ve been a twist of sorts. I think I’m grasping for straws because of how I wanted more from this.

Taste is subjective though, so you might love the film. And that’s fine! Neither of us are wrong. Don’t let one review discourage you.

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