Where The Crawdads Sing

Based on Delia Owens’ novel, Where The Crawdads Sing follows Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kya Clark as she grows up in a remote marsh and is eventually forced to defend herself after being accused of murder. Filmmaker Olivia Newman, working from Lucy Alibar’s screenplay, delivers a watchable yet thoroughly erratic drama that’s rarely, if ever, as engrossing or engaging as one might’ve anticipated (and hoped), with the picture’s palpably overlong running time paving the way for a sluggish, hit-and-miss narrative that does, for the most part, feel like it’s in desperate need of serious streamlining – which, in turn, ultimately mutes the impact of Where The Crawdads Sing‘s roster of agreeable elements (including the top-notch performances and appealing, lush visuals). And although Newman has peppered the proceedings with a small handful of above-average attributes, with Garret Dillahunt’s captivating, all-too-short-lived turn as Kya’s alcoholic father certainly a highlight, Where The Crawdads Sing builds towards a so-so climax that ensures it finishes on a decidedly less-than-spellbinding note – thus cementing the movie’s place as a less-than-enthralling adaptation that fares demonstrably worse than its source material.

**1/2 out of ****