Opened: July 15, 2022

Directed by: Olivia Newman

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, David Strathairn, Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer Jr., Jojo Regina, Leslie France, Luke David Blumm, Sam Anderson, Blue Clarke, Logan Macrae, Will Bundon, Bill Kelly, Ahna O’Reilly, Garrett Dillahunt, Jayson Warner Smith & Eric Ladin

Based on the 2018 novel by Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing manages to be a faithful adaptation of its decades-spanning source material.

Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones) has long been an outcast in her town known as “the marsh girl.” Over time, she develops a relationship with Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson) but when he mysteriously dies, she becomes the main suspect in his supposed murder.

Edgar-Jones brings sincerity to the role of Kya. She perfectly captures her innocence while also feeling hurt by the way she’s been perceived. Michael Hyatt and Sterling Macer Jr. are perfectly cast as parental figures to Kya.

While the cinematography and lighting are beautiful, there’s a lot of material to cover. Though the film doesn’t do terribly in managing it, a limited series might have worked better.

Final say: Edgar-Jones will leave you breathless. ★★★★☆