Living by herself in the marshlands of North Carolina, Catherine “Kya” Clark has little contact with the outside world. The few people she interacts with include the Madisons, an African-American couple to whom she sells mussels; Tate Walker, the boy who taught her to read and to love; and golden boy Chase Andrews, her abusive ex who is found dead in the middle of the swamp. Chase’s death leaves the town suspicious, and Kya instantly becomes the number one suspect in a murder case.
Released on July 5th, the film adaptation of Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Daisy Edgar-Jones’s performance as Kya but criticized the film’s inconsistent tone. Audiences disagreed, giving the movie a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Ultimately, the movie earned $107.5 million, over four times its $24 million budget, and finished third in the box office behind Thor: Love and Thunder and Minions: The Rise of Gru. The two vastly different responses to the film raises the question of whether our issues with pacing and tone are nearly as important as critics make them out to be, or if they can be set aside in cases of exceptional storytelling.
The Devil’s in the Details
Olivia Newman and Polly Morgan, the film’s respective director and cinematographer, included numerous tiny details that add depth to the film’s narrative, especially when comparing Kya’s relationships with Tate and Chase. There were plenty of things that I didn’t notice until my second viewing of the film. From prop colors to music choices, the contrast between the two boys is meant to be just as much of a visceral experience as a conscious one. While Tate listens to Italian opera with his father, Chase listens to hard rock. While Tate only enters Kya’s house after her or when she opens the door, Chase is always barging in ahead of her. The boys’ clothes, and even their boats, are contrasting red and blue colors. Every element is well thought out and executed to perfection.
Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault and Abuse
Sexual, physical, and verbal abuse are prominent themes in this film, and there is a case of sexual assault that is shown partially on and off-screen. If you find such content triggering, do not watch this film.
That being said, the way in which Where the Crawdads Sing handles issues of such abuse is realistic and, at times, heartbreaking. Tate decides to not have sex with Kya, telling her that she can’t afford to be “damaged.” After Kya’s assault, she refuses to go to the authorities, declaring that the police will do nothing and that her account will only result in her being labeled as a slut by the townspeople. The film confronts the social issues and double standards regarding sex that, unfortunately, many women can relate to.
The film also does a great job of expounding upon both Kya’s father and Chase without excusing their actions. Kya’s father is a military veteran who is implied to suffer from PTSD. While the movie provides this bit of backstory so that the audience can understand his character better, this is never used as either a sympathy card or an excuse. The same goes for Chase. He describes feeling trapped in his current life, with his reputation as the town’s golden boy leaving him confined to its borders. While many can relate to such issues, the audience is never meant to empathize with him. His ramblings are only ever shown for what they are: excuses. Kya is never supposed to be considered as being in the wrong. Such complexity is a very thin line to walk on, and I commend the film’s crew for masterfully avoiding the common issue of over-empathizing with the film’s antagonist.
Pacing and Tone: Important or Irrelevant?
Oftentimes, when critics dislike a film that bridges multiple genres, they blame the pacing or tone. Are they valid arguments? Sometimes. After all, I’m not going to argue with someone who claims that the 2021 filmAscendant has horrible pacing, although that movie has numerous other issues. However, if a story is done well enough and the tone and pacing are only slightly subpar, I don’t consider that enough reason to condemn the movie.
Where the Crawdads Sing not only spans the romance, thriller, and mystery genres, it spans the course of Kya’s life. The film handled courtroom proceedings in a more efficient manner than any movie or television show I’ve ever seen. Newman only kept the important pieces of information, and the transitions between the flashbacks and current events were exceptionally smooth. While the middle section can feel a bit long, the film never leaves you shifting in your seat. The change in tone can be attributed to capturing the hills and valleys of Kya’s life, following her in the rollercoaster of emotions that we as human beings feel. Keeping it tonally consistent would actually be doing a disservice to the characters and the story at hand.
Ultimately, Where the Crawdads Sing is beautifully shot, and the cast’s acting is wonderful to watch. The greatest criticisms of the film aren’t enough to deter its complex storytelling, and I highly recommend you watch it in your spare time.