Where the Crawdads Sing
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.
Critics Sentiment
Tate finds the missing shell necklace hidden in Kya's journal after her death
Kya begins a relationship with Chase Andrews, who promises marriage
The film's biggest sentiment swing occurs from the predictable and surface-level Chase romance (6.5) to the electrifying Tate-and-Kya reading scenes (8.6), a jump of 2.1 points driven by the chemistry reviewers found irresistible between Edgar-Jones and Smith.
The film opens with strong atmospheric intrigue and builds genuine emotional investment through Kya's childhood abandonment and her tender romance with Tate, peaking in those marsh-set scenes before dipping during the condensed and predictable Chase storyline in the middle act. The courtroom drama steadies the sentiment as Strathairn anchors the trial sequences, and the film recovers fully in its final minutes with a divisive but widely praised twist ending that reframes everything viewers thought they knew. Overall, audience sentiment tracks above its critical consensus, carried by Daisy Edgar-Jones's magnetic performance, stunning cinematography, and a mystery structure that rewards patience.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 48
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
Ahna O'Reilly
Ma
Garret Dillahunt
Pa
Jojo Regina
Little Kya
Luke David Blumm
Little Tate
Blue Clarke
Little Chase
Will Bundon
Little Jodie
Jayson Warner Smith
Deputy Perdue
Dane Rhodes
Judge Sims
Eric Ladin
Eric Chastain
Robert Larriviere
Dr. Foster
Ron Flagge
Jacob
Joe Chrest
Dr. Cone
Crew
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