Premise - 13/20 - First thing: never read the book. Going in fresh as someone who is watching a story about a girl that grew up mostly by herself in the marsh dealing with being a murder suspect. OK, not riveting.
Cast/characters - 18/20 - Daisy Edgar-Jones was wonderful in Fresh, so I was in for this. She is spectacular in this and quite a beauty. Didn't know any other actors other than David Straithairn, so I can be unbiased in saying they are did their jobs well. I enjoyed Tate and the shopkeepers. I don't have the backstories from the book, but I can get the idea in the short amount of time spent on character development and relationships. One question I would've liked answered is why Chase had anything to do with "Marsh Girl" in the 1st place. He was an ex-football star (so a public hero) and had chicks all over town.
Story - 17/20 - Dragged a bit in the middle after Tate did what he did, but the story was excellent and the ending was very good.
Dialogue - 15/20 - Apparently, narration had to be used to substitute for plot points, and I'm OK with that. Conversations with Tate were good, conversations with Chase were frustrating, and the courtroom sequence seemed effective.
World-building - 15/20 - Don't know much about a scenario like this because I've never seen backwoods NC. The visuals laid it out well. The town was created so that she had opposition from everyone as you might expect from a recluse.

78/100 - 4/5 stars - Daisy Edgar-Jones has become an actor that I'll watch regardless of plot. Again, without having read the book, I found the characters shallow but effective and the plot to move along well enough with a good beginning and end. Definitely worth the time.

Split opinion on this. Overall, though, I think my thoughts regarding it are, just narrowly, positive.

'Where the Crawdads Sing' is a tad overlong and I'm not sold on the ending, though even so I think I like this enough. The acting is the big reason for that, with Daisy Edgar-Jones standing out alongside David Strathairn. Taylor John Smith and Garret Dillahunt are solid elsewhere. Away from the actors, most other elements are forgettable.

The conclusion is iffy to me. It was clear the film was holding something back in regards to the story, though the way it eventually goes isn't the most satisfying to me personally. It's a pretty straightforward film, when all is said and done.

It's close to being what I'd consider a miss, but I reckon it just about does enough right. 6/10 doesn't feel fitting to me, so 7/10 it is.

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING is a movie adaptation of the novel of the same name by Delia Owens. The movie is set in the early 1950s in the fictional town of Barkley Cove, North Carolina. Kya Clark (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a young girl who lives in isolation after she is abandoned by her family. She becomes friends with Tate Walker (played by Taylor John Smith), a local boy who helps her learn how to read and write. When Tate also abandons her, Kya becomes involved with Chase Andrews (played by Harris Dickinson), the town's golden boy. When Chase is found dead, Kya becomes the prime suspect.

The movie begins with the murder, unlike in the book. In the movie, Kya is arrested and put on trial at the start. The trial is the central focus of the movie, whereas in the book it is a secondary plotline. The movie does a decent job of adapting the book's complex plot and characters for the screen. However, it lacks the lyrical prose of the novel, which is one of the novel's greatest strengths.

Daisy Edgar-Jones gives a breakout performance as Kya. She conveys Kya's isolation, desperation, and hope. The movie is worth watching for her performance alone. The movie is visually stunning, with sweeping shots of the North Carolina marshes. It's a beautiful backdrop for the story. In addition to her relationships with the two men in the story, a black couple also befriends Kya – Jumpin' (played by Sterling Macer Jr) and Mabel (played by Michael Hyatt). Their relationship is one of the most complex and interesting relationships in the movie.

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING is not perfect. The film's pacing is uneven, and it struggles to find the right tone. The murder mystery plot is too convoluted and not particularly interesting. And the relationship between Kya and Chase feels forced and unconvincing. And there is no explanation of what a crawdad is! My understanding is that a crawdad is a freshwater crustacean that resembles a small lobster. They are also known as crayfish, crawfish, and crawdaddies. They live in the swamps battling for their existence – a metaphor for Kya's own battle to survive.

The themes of love, loss, betrayal, and redemption are at the heart of this movie. Kya's story is a moving tale of human resilience in the face of great adversity. The ending is hopeful, though not without tragedy.

Overall, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING is a beautiful but flawed adaptation of a great novel. It's worth watching for the stunning visuals and Daisy Edgar-Jones' performance. But be prepared to be disappointed if you're expecting a faithful adaptation of the book.

By January 2022, the book had sold 12 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books of all time. Almost everyone in the theatre, yesterday afternoon, had read the book and were wondering if the movie could be as good as the book, so in my exit poll, of a dozen, or so, viewers, I asked then specifically, “Did the movie do justice to the book?” Without exception they said it had. (Although one reader thought the movie had a more definitive ending than the book.) Their ratings were 8s, 8.5s and two 10s. When I said that anything I rated over 8 would be worthy of a rewatch, it was unanimous that all of them would rewatch it, some thinking they’d like to read the book, again. So, these people, who came to see the movie, had high standards that they felt were met.

The story is simple but intriguing. There is a whole TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD vibe to it. And there is a wonderful contrast between a purity of soul living within a world of threat and danger. It was refreshing to have a film celebrate innocence. The nature shots of North Carolina are breathtaking. The casting is spot on and the performances are flawless. But the success of the film lies with the lead actor, Daisy Edgar-Jones (a very talented Brit, who earned respect for her talents in another best selling novel adaptation for television, NORMAL PEOPLE). There is a wide eyed innocence about Kya that she captures which, in turn, captivates the audience to invest in her story and her plight. (The only disconnect I had with her portrayal was not her fault but that of the production. For a swamp girl, living off the grid, her personal hygiene and wardrobe were spotless and fitted to perfection. A seemingly unlikely possibility considering her environment.) I would definitely see this film again and am tempted to buy the audible book. I give this film an enthusiastic 9 (beautiful and touching) out of 10. [Drama]

I've been a Daisy Edgar-Jones fan ever since _Normal People (2020)_, and I have gone out of my way to watch her follow-up projects (_Fresh (2022)_, _Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)_, and this film). While her performances in all of these have never been lacking (except in the since that they lack the Irish accent I loved from that first show), none of these projects came together fully for me.

In this case, the story being adapted doesn't have quite enough room to breathe in a feature length film. Where the novel likely had ample time to gradually establish characters, relationships, and backstory, this film ends up feeling a tad too expository, relying on narration to bridge gaps and rushed flashbacks that feel like they are simply checking boxes. Everything just feels a little on the nose, without a lot of subtlety or nuance. At the same time, there is also a pacing problem, with the film dragging in certain segments. This might seem contradictory to my previous critique, so let me try to explain. I think the problem here is that the central external conflict ([spoiler]the murder investigation/trial[/spoiler]) doesn't actually get much screen time, being sprinkled amongst a much larger helping of character/relationship focused flashbacks. So, while those backstory segments sometimes felt superficial and rushed, the main plot felt plodding and slow. Additionally, without spoiling anything, the final act was somewhat anticlimactic for me.

Now, these complaints are primarily related to construction. The story itself is compelling and, as previously mentioned, the central performance of Daisy Edgar-Jones is solid, as are the performances of both love interests.