Where The Crawdads Sing Review: Gorgeous Visuals Clash With Storytelling Issues
Book to film adaptations are notoriously challenging to do right. Fans of the original work will laud it if it is done well. However, if something goes wrong, the film will become infamous. There is a very good chance that Where the Crawdads Sing, Olivia Newman's adaptation of Delia Owens' best-selling book, will fall into the first category when it hits theatres. Stunningly produced and absolutely true to the book, the film will no doubt enthral those who have anxiously consumed its pages. Where the Crawdads Sing struggles a little bit to make the transfer from paper to screen as a movie, while having a fantastic lead performance.
Beginning in 1969, the apparent murder of popular boy Chase Andrews shocks the tranquil north carolina village of Barkley Cove (Harris Dickinson). Despite the surprising absence of evidence at the crime scene, rumours have already identified a suspect: the infamous "Marsh Girl," a legend in Barkley Cove who has long been derided. In actuality, Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a quiet young woman with a strong love of nature, is the Marsh Girl. Where the Crawdads Sing goes back a few years and explores Kya's past, her connection to the nearby marsh, and whether she may have been responsible for Chase's unfortunate death.
The movie's adherence to the novel, though, occasionally causes it to stumble. Actually, there are some pacing flaws with Where the Crawdads Sing. Important moments in Kya's murder trial that need to be tense and suspenseful aren't given the proper urgency. The movie initially suffers from abrupt transitions between the past and the present when it comes to the subject of the trial. These improve as Chase's role in the story becomes more prominent, but Where the Crawdads Sing's opening act struggles to strike a good balance between Kya's early years and her uncertain future.