Where the Crawdads Sing

It plays better than it reviews — the watch lands harder than the write-ups suggest.

• “The bluntness of its messaging proves to be a bit of a detraction, but the fact remains that Where the Crawdads Sing is a heartfelt, and gorgeous picture, the kind which major studios used to make all the time, and now feel like a bit of an endangered species.”

  Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence · 91

• “It’s a movie that resonates, particularly for those who felt drawn in by Owens’ novel, although certainly there will be viewers who find it trite or melodramatic. But this is a strong, satisfying adaptation that welcomes the audience into the marsh alongside Kya.”

  Emily Zemler, Observer · 88

• “Where the Crawdads Sing is at once a mystery, a romance, a back-to-nature reverie full of gnarled trees and hanging moss, and a parable of women’s power and independence in a world crushed under by masculine will.”

  Owen Gleiberman, Variety · 80

• “Daisy Edgar-Jones is the star here and gives an incredibly endearing performance.”

  Alan Ng, Film Threat · 80

• “Newman’s film gets enough right to be just as solid as a summer cinematic distraction as Owens’ book was as beachside literature. The atmosphere and beauty of the Carolina marshes are masterfully captured, and it bears repeating that Daisy Edgar-Jones is a magnetic leading presence, investing Kya with equal parts relatability and spiny distance for a character that seems to have leapt from the page, whole and vivid.”

  Leigh Monson, The A.V. Club · 75