Where the Crawdads Sing Review: One of the Best Book-to-Film Adaptations!

Where the Crawdads Sing was one of my favorite books I read in 2021. I listened to a podcast that outlined the entire story up to the ending, so I knew exactly how the plot was going to go. However, I decided to read it anyway, and even though I knew the entire plot, I was astounded by how phenomenal this book was.

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When I found out it was being made into a movie, I was ecstatic but also worried as to how it could live up to the book. That said, I review films as films, not compared to the book. However, Where the Crawdads Sing was one of the best book-to-film adaptations I have seen in recent years, taking everything that made the book so wonderful and translating it onto the screen.

Where the Crawdads Sing made me feel immersed in the story the way a cinematic experience should feel. The cinematography was breath-taking alongside the on-location filming. From the start, the audience feels connected to Catherine Danielle Clark, whom her family calls Kya, as she must fend for herself at the age of six when her family abandons her one by one in the marshes of North Carolina.

Set in the 1950s and 1960s, Kya’s resilience is apparent when she realizes that the entire town of Barkley Cove sees her as an outcast, labeling her as the “Marsh Girl,” and, in turn, accusing her of the murder of a local boy. Directed Olivia Newman and screenwriter Lucy Alibar were able to portray a character that the audience felt close to while still maintaining a little bit of mystery about her through the inclusion of the murder case Kya is tried for.

What became evident through Where the Crawdads Sing was the genuine care behind the story and the film’s creation on the writing, directing, and cinematography front. After hearing the director speak about the movie at the New York World Premiere, her connection to the story was apparent on screen. The movie’s production team was primarily an all-female crew, which made sense because the film felt like the child of a team of women who were able to nurture the source material into a beautiful experience.

Not to get on my soapbox, but in an industry where men are popping out films left and right about men in capes with so little genuine care for each movie outside of a hefty pay check and set up for sequels. It was actually refreshing to see women set a movie free, with less than a quarter of the budget, that had so much more value to every cinematic aspect.

Although parts of the plot may seem familiar, the avenue the film takes to tell its story feels authentic to the world it is set in and the uniqueness of the landscape it takes place. Stories of outsiders have been told since the dawn of time, but Kya’s ability to know her strength and worth was written in a way that displayed a character who never needed anyone but still strived for the human connection that is hard to live without.

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Daisy Edgar-Jones’ performance was fantastic and everything that readers have loved about Kya was exceeded by her incredible talent. The other standout in the film was Harris Dickenson’s portrayal of Chase Andrews, who somehow made a slightly flatter character in the book absolutely terrifying. I urge everyone to go see Where the Crawdads Sing. For all of its familiarity at times, the movie felt unique in its own way because of the wonderful job of the cast and crew. It has just enough twists and turns but never relies on them to make the film worthwhile.

‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ Rating – 4/5

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