The story successfully navigates the “whodunit” trope without it being convoluted. I would say that while the movie does a better job in its reveal because of its advantage of showing rather than telling, author Delia Owens has a better writing style that perfectly encapsulates the motivations of the protagonist.
Owens does a fantastic job detailing Kya’s living conditions. Take, for instance, the scene where Kya’s brother Jodie visits her:
“Jodie felt the lonely life hanging in her kitchen. It was there in the tiny supply of onions in the vegetable basket, the single plate drying in the rack, the cornbread wrapped carefully in a tea towel, the way an old widow might do it.”
Yes, we’re told that she only showed up at school for one day in her life and that she doesn’t have any friends. But the description of her kitchen perfectly encapsulates just how alone Kya really was, which the movie glosses over and just tries to tell us through dialogue.
Another great example is when Chase is trying to woo Kya. Owens writes, “Yes, Chase had laid out a banquet, but she was worth more than fried chicken.” In the movie, there are initial examples of Chase not respecting Kya’s boundaries, such as when he walks directly into her house without her permission. But the writing is more descriptive from Owens in her book.
In describing Kya’s feelings for Chase, Owens eloquently writes, “Her mind looking one way, her desire the other. Her body watched Chase Andrews, not her heart.”
Director Olivia Newman faithfully follows the novel “Where The Crawdads Sing”, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Owens also wrote the screenplay. Still, she does a good job of capturing the life in North Carolina, especially the marsh that Kya grew up in.
What the movie does get right is the casting and aesthetics of the movie. Daisy Edgar-Jones perfectly plays the part, as she has the lanky but attractive body type that Kya is described as. Taylor John Smith plays Tate and Harris Dickinson plays Chase. They both have the look of the strong, burly characters as described in the book.
The always talented David Strathairn plays Tom Milton, a defense attorney who represents Kya in trial.
Though they don’t stand out as award-winning performances, they were solid castings.
I would categorize both the book and movie as weekend activities when you’re on the couch. They aren’t exactly edge of your seat or page turners. Both will entertain you, but you can easily pause the movie and put down the book. They are stories worth finishing whenever you have free time.