Film Review - Where the Crawdads Sing
Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Publicity Australia.
In the latest adaptation of a worldwide best-selling novel, Where the Crawdads Sing offers a unique perspective into an inexplicably untapped setting. 1950’s-60’s southern United States is a journey I hadn’t taken during a movie in a good long while. While it was stark for the film not to indulge in the explosive political scene of the era, in doing so Crawdads reaffirms its isolated narrative in the marshes of a small country town whose locals have their own lives.
Where this uniqueness to each character wears thin is in the treatment of Marsh Girl, Catherine ‘Kya’ Clarke, a girl raised by the bush after being abandoned by her family, whose main priority is to now survive while evading child services. The fleeting moments of fascination she receives from love interests and the local store keep are warming touches to a lonely affair, though I do believe that I’m going to say something that will be repeated a couple of times to come… I just wish there was more. Kya’s introduction and setup, her hermit tendencies and her budding writing career, all lay to the wayside as the plot thickens and the murder of one said love interest, Chase, ferments.
As is the case with nearly every novel-adaption I’ve seen, compounded by the relatively short runtime of Crawdads, is that all the juiciest parts of the movie seem to never reach their full potential. Others who have read the book fill me in on the details and what had been left out, so maybe this is just genius marketing because now I want to read the book to get the full picture.
Speaking of solid marketing, have you heard that new Taylor Swift song? I, like many, first heard of this movie from the song, and not the novel. While I would say that my approach lacks culture as I skip the literature and jump to the easily consumed movie, maybe it also heightened my disappointment when several gorgeous overtures featured in key moments of the narrative, while the lyrics were withheld until the credits. This selective use of the melody was wise in the end, as it encouraged me to focus on the entire score as opposed to one catchy song. In this respect, I can confirm that the score is fantastic, unchained, and whimsical while it reflects the beauty of nature and cruelty of civilisation.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a unique take on the who-dunnit genre, and though it lacks the punch of a satisfying conclusion, it still leaves a lasting impression. The murder remained at the heart of the plot as time shifted back and forth between present-day courtroom drama and flashbacks of the past, where every character was provided a (sometimes flimsy) motive to kill the film’s quasi-antagonist.
Where the Crawdads Sing is screening in cinemas from Thursday the 21st of July. For tickets and more info, click here.