SPOILERS AHEAD!!
The film Where The Crawdads Sing is based on the book of the same name by Delia Owens, which made its debut in theaters this past July. After only a couple of months in theaters, it became one of the most popular films of the summer. If you haven’t had the opportunity to be blessed by watching this amazing film, I highly recommend watching it as soon as possible, or at least reading about how much I like it!

For those of you who don’t know anything about the film or book; Where the Crawdads Sing is about a girl named Catherine ( Kya), who grows up in the marshes of South Carolina. The beginning of the film and her story starts with her childhood, which takes a turn for the worst. 

Kya and her four older siblings are raised by their mother, who abandons them due to the father’s drinking and physical abuse. Her siblings follow suit over the years until Kya is left alone with her father. 

Despite all the negatives, the beautiful thing about this time period in Kya’s life is that she connects with the marsh. When her father ultimately leaves her to fend for herself, she learns from the marsh how to survive and comes to truly understand and appreciate the marsh’s beauty. 

Many of the scenes in this film are aesthetically pleasing, which shows how exemplary this film is. Most of these scenes are filmed in nature, particularly in the marsh. It is amazing to see on the big screen, especially if you get to see it twice as I did. 

 As Kya learns to survive by herself, she continues to avoid a boy she grew up with from Barkley Cove: Tate Walker. It’s not until Tate and Kya run into each other at a beautiful live oak tree that the movie really kicks off. 

Their relationship intensifies as they get older, and it’s very evident that Kya knows absolutely nothing about society. It is devastating that Kya gives her entire heart to Tate, and he ends up throwing her to the side because he is afraid that she will never leave the marsh; which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

In this film, there are voiceovers of Kya’s character explaining how she feels about her life and how she connects the past to the present. Whenever she does this, audiences have to pay attention because it frequently foreshadows the future.

 Little easter eggs are set in the film that viewers should keep an eye out for, as they reveal pieces of Kya’s character and her motivations. For example, when Kya is talking about how female praying mantis and female lightning bugs lure their prey with mating rituals to kill them, she gives a major part of her character away, and what she’s plotting. 

The directors did a fantastic job casting the movie, but they did especially well on Kya’s character. Kya, played by Daisy Edgar Jones plays a shy, ostracized woman and looks natural in the role. Not only was the casting perfect, but the book’s and film’s setting matches almost perfectly, which really immerses the audience into the film. 

As Kya’s story continues to become more intricate, the overall plot thickens after a local man who has been seen with Kya is found dead. The scene cuts, voiceovers, and suspenseful build of music all contribute to the film’s purpose. These scenes really help the audience understand the fear and chaos happening in Kya’s life, which remains constant throughout the remainder of the film. 

I will continue to strongly recommend this movie, not only because I enjoy it, but because it has a very interesting plot. Kya, a girl who has no connections to society, suddenly becomes the center of society’s attention, all because she was unique from the rest of the town. 

This film has drama, romance, mystery, and basically anything else you could ask for. This movie can also be considered a brain teaser, giving the audience new ways to think. Perhaps even giving the audience a chance to reflect on their own lives and how they treat themselves and others.