The book has sold millions of copies, but is the film adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing worthy of attracting millions of audience members? Maybe not, but it gives it a good old go nonetheless...
Director: Olivia Newman
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson
Running time: 125 minutes
Oh no, a big screen adaptation of a slightly saccharine best-selling novel - this is bound to have some unsettlingly sentimental scenes and plenty of on-the-nose dialogue, isn’t it? Well, yes, as it turns out. Yet, for all the predictable pitfalls Where the Crawdads Sings falls into, an engaging storyline and some admirable performances from its cast - particularly rising star Daisy Edgar-Jones - mean this is more than just your usual straight-to-Netflix heartstrings-puller.
Crawdads follows lifelong recluse Kya (Edgar-Jones) - known to many simply as ‘the marsh girl’ - throughout different stages of her life, covering her abusive childhood, an adolescence defined by loneliness, and her eventual trial for the murder of her dirtbag romantic interest, Chase (Harris Dickinson). Along the way, we meet another, slightly less dirtbag-esque romantic interest, Tate (Taylor John Smith), and see our lead finally open herself up to others, despite being burned by those she trusts so many times.
Like the book, this is split into two separate stories - Kya’s childhood and personal life; Kya’s trial - with the film jumping back and forth between them, blending the narrative in an attempt to avoid losing the audience’s interest. And, for the most part, it works. Where an initially slow start leaves you relatively disinterested - questioning why you should care about the fate of this random person you’ve only just met - the decision to dive back into the struggles of Kya’s story is inspired; with each flashback, each reveal, each further exploration of her character, your empathy and interest increases, raising the stakes with each passing moment. Had this been a simple thriller, or a simple courtroom drama, it would have undoubtedly fallen flat.
If you’re after a relatively engaging - if slightly predictable - thriller-slash-character study, you can’t really go wrong with Where the Crawdads Sing
While the rest of the characters are given little in the way of depth, predominantly acting as plot drivers, there are still some standout performances to be found. Dickinson is suitably slimy as the misogynistic alpha male type, encouraging the viewer to want nothing less than Chase’s demise whenever he’s on screen. And Smith manages to strike up a believable, likeable chemistry with Edgar-Jones, keeping you invested enough in their characters’ relationship for certain romantic beats to land.
If you think this praise means Crawdads is a particularly memorable or commendable film, though, you’d be mistaken. The screenplay from Lucy Alibar is, at times, painfully unsophisticated, regularly feeling like a secondary school literature essay brought to life. And at over two hours in length, the film borders on self-indulgent in its storytelling, with its pacing needing a little refinement to really pop.
That said, if you’re after a relatively engaging - if slightly predictable - thriller-slash-character study, you can’t really go wrong with Where the Crawdads Sing. Headed up by perhaps the breakout star of the past year in Daisy Edgar-Jones, and with just enough tension to keep you hooked from start to finish, it’s undoubtedly worth a trip to the cinema for - if for no other reason than to make use of their air con.
Did you know? Author of the book that inspired the film, Delia Owens, makes a cameo appearance during Kya's trial.
Where the Crawdads Sing is showing in cinemas from Friday 22 July
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