Where the Crawdads Sing

"Secrets are buried just beneath the surface."

2022 2h 6m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🥫

34%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 2,407🥫34%Rotten Tomatoes●43Metacritic★7.2IMDB · 154,505

DramaMysteryRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Abandoned by her family, Kya raises herself all alone in the marshes outside of her small town. When her former boyfriend is found dead, Kya is instantly branded by the local townspeople and law enforcement as the prime suspect for his murder.

“Secrets are buried just beneath the surface.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

HuluSubscription

fuboTVSubscription

YouTube TVSubscription

FXNowSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

FlixFlingRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

PlexRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Daisy Edgar-Jones
Kya Clark
Taylor John Smith
Tate Walker
Harris Dickinson
Chase Andrews
David Strathairn
Tom Milton
Michael Hyatt
Mabel
Sterling Macer Jr.
Jumpin'
Logan Macrae
Jodie Clark
Bill Kelly
Sheriff Jackson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Olivia Newman
Writers: Lucy Alibar, Paulo DeFreitas Jr.
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 6.0× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 4 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

201+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Olivia Newman, shot by Polly Morgan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mychael Danna. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Alan Edward Bell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Taylor John Smith and Harris Dickinson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Secrets are buried just beneath the surface.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Olivia Newman directs. Polly Morgan behind the camera. Mychael Danna scores. Alan Edward Bell cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 6.0× over at the box office.
2Released 4 years ago.
3201+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Olivia Newman, shot by Polly Morgan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mychael Danna. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Alan Edward Bell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Daisy Edgar-Jones and Taylor John Smith and Harris Dickinson carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Secrets are buried just beneath the surface.".
9IMDB entry: tt9411972 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 22 themes, including "based on novel or book", "artist", "bullying", "alcoholism".

The technical file

Cinematography: Polly Morgan
Original score: Mychael Danna
Editing: Alan Edward Bell
Production design: Sue Chan
Costume design: Mirren Gordon-Crozier
Makeup / hair: Jennifer Jane
VFX supervisor: Chris Ritvo
Sound: Kyle Arzt
Stunt coordinator: Chelsea Bruland
Runtime: 126 min · 2h 6m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $24,000,000
Box office: $144,353,965
Return: 601% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 34% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 43/100
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 154,505 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

3 wins & 13 nominations total

Also by

Olivia Newman

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

NancyLDraper@gmail.com2022-07-16
★ 8/10
By January 2022, the book had sold 12 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books of all time. Almost everyone in the theatre, yesterday afternoon, had read the book and were wondering if the movie could be as good as the book, so in my exit poll, of a dozen, or so, viewers, I asked then specifically, “Did the movie do justice to the book?” Without exception they said it had. (Although one reader thought the movie had a more definitive ending than the book.) Their ratings were 8s, 8.5s and two 10s. When I said that anything I rated over 8 would be worthy of a rewatch, it was unanimous that all of them would rewatch it, some thinking they’d like to read the book, again. So, these people, who came to see the movie, had high standards that they felt were met. The story is simple but intriguing. There is a whole TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD vibe to it. And there is a wonderful contrast between a purity of soul living within a world of threat and danger. It was refreshing to have a film celebrate innocence. The nature shots of North Carolina are breathtaking. The casting is spot on and the performances are flawless. But the success of the film lies with the lead actor, Daisy Edgar-Jones (a very talented Brit, who earned respect for her talents in another best selling novel adaptation for television, NORMAL PEOPLE). There is a wide eyed innocence about Kya that she captures which, in turn, captivates the audience to invest in her story and her plight. (The only disconnect I had with her portrayal was not her fault but that of the production. For a swamp girl, living off the grid, her personal hygiene and wardrobe were spotless and fitted to perfection. A seemingly unlikely possibility considering her environment.) I would definitely see this film again and am tempted to buy the audible book. I give this film an enthusiastic 9 (beautiful and touching) out of 10. [Drama]
CinemaSerf2022-07-28
★ 7/10
Daisy Edgar-Jones is really quite good in this adaptation of the Delia Owens story of a young girl left to her own devices in 1950s America. One by one her mother, siblings and finally her father abandon her to bring herself up. She takes to fishing for mussels in order to try to make ends meet, and is generally shunned by her community. Except, that is for her childhood friend "Tate" (a good effort too from Taylor John Smith) but when he leaves to go to college, she is exposed to the local Lothario "Chase" (Harris Dickinson). Turns out he is a bit of a wrong 'un for her, and when he is found dead at the bottom of a fire tower, she is prime suspect. What now ensues is a trial that provides us with retrospectives of the girl's childhood and her relationships whilst "Milton" (David Strathairn) organises her defence for a crime that might not even have been committed! The cinematography is gorgeous, the remoteness and intimacy of her existence is captured really well; as is the sense of isolation from her community as they look upon her as little more than an urchin. Smith portrays a decency to his character (he reminded me a lot of Joe Alwyn) and there are some touching performances from Sterling Macer Jnr. and Michael Hyatt as the closest thing the young girl has to family. Dickinson's accent is all over the shop, but he does manage to convince well enough as the rather duplicitous man who probably deserved his fate - however it actually happened. It is an interesting story, illustrating just how little by way of state infrastructure (or interference) there was in this young girl's life and how that empowered and endangered her in equal measure. DEJ delivers a strong and nuanced performance as the initially illiterate girl who was determined not be put upon and the story has a redemption that I found really fitting. The photography really does benefit from a cinema screen if you can.
r96sk2022-08-02
★ 7/10
Split opinion on this. Overall, though, I think my thoughts regarding it are, just narrowly, positive. <em>'Where the Crawdads Sing'</em> is a tad overlong and I'm not sold on the ending, though even so I think I like this enough. The acting is the big reason for that, with Daisy Edgar-Jones standing out alongside David Strathairn. Taylor John Smith and Garret Dillahunt are solid elsewhere. Away from the actors, most other elements are forgettable. The conclusion is iffy to me. It was clear the film was holding something back in regards to the story, though the way it eventually goes isn't the most satisfying to me personally. It's a pretty straightforward film, when all is said and done. It's close to being what I'd consider a miss, but I reckon it just about does enough right. 6/10 doesn't feel fitting to me, so 7/10 it is.