Movie Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

 

Michael’s Movie Grade: B

A well made and engaging romantic drama. 

So much of what makes this film stand out is the wonderful sense of atmosphere. The Marsh is just as much a character in this film as any of the human characters. Like nature in real life there is a mysterious beauty to the marsh that draws you in. This is a very important element for the film and one that if it wasn’t there the movie wouldn’t work. If we were not intrigued by the swamp as well then we would not be able to understand or relate to anything that happens in the story. Luckily we are just as in awe of the swamp as she is. The mysterious and atmosphere of the swamp also makes the murder mystery part of the film work better.

The other major element in this movie working is our main character. Luckily this is another spot where this movie succussed. Kya is an incredibly likable person. Though she has every reason to be angry at the world, she still finds beauty in nature and learns to love a select few others deeply. She has also not let it taint her good heart. Over the course of this film we grow to really care about her, and she begins to feel like a real person to us. This is all helped by a wonderful performance by Daisy Edgar-Jones. She is just beginning her movie career and I think that she will definitely go far. 

The story of this film is quite good. While it is familiar, it still works quite well. The scenes in the courtroom have quite a bit of suspense and keep one glued to the screen. The romantic scenes feel very charming and believable. 

However this film does have its flaws. The largest flaw is that as real as Kya feels, none of the other human characters ever feel like anything more than bland stereotypes, whose only personality traits are what is needed to tell the story. There is also no transition between the current scenes and the flashbacks. Sometimes the movie will cut to a flashback with no warning and the change just feels abrupt and interrupts the flow of the film. Then when the film cuts back to a current scene, it feels just as abrupt and likewise takes us out of the movie. There is also narration from Kya during the flashback scenes. This makes us wonder whether she is talking to her lawyer or to the audience, something that becomes more unclear by the placement of the flashbacks. 

This film may have its flaws, but what works is very good.