43
Metascore
46 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91ConsequenceLiz Shannon MillerConsequenceLiz Shannon MillerThe 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.
- 75The A.V. ClubLeigh MonsonThe A.V. ClubLeigh MonsonNewman’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.
- 60SlashfilmHoai-Tran BuiSlashfilmHoai-Tran BuiThe film is a self-serious, but consciously aesthetically pleasing, adaptation of a, frankly, silly soap opera. It doesn't rock the boat, but it doesn't plunge into the depths of womanhood, poverty, and classism as much as it thinks it does.
- 59The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzThe film is neither heartbreaking nor thrilling, often feeling like a blown-up version of a Hallmark flick-of-the-week, its ambitions far greater than its capabilities.
- 58IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichThat it’s able to split the difference between Nicholas Sparks and “Nell” with any measure of believability is a testament to Daisy Edgar-Jones’ careful performance as Kya Clark.
- 50Screen RantRachel LaBonteScreen RantRachel LaBonteWhere the Crawdads Sing stumbles a bit in its transition from page to screen, though it is aided by a great lead performance.
- 49Paste MagazineJacob OllerPaste MagazineJacob OllerWhere the Crawdads Sing is shallow, predictable and just broad enough that you can understand why it sold so well as a half-lurid paperback. Newman’s work adapting it makes its derivative elements as obvious as a bad accent, but its chart-topping, tone-deaf mediocrity is faithfully replicated.
- 40The GuardianAdrian HortonThe GuardianAdrian HortonWhere the Crawdads Sing never really had an interest in complications, or hardship, or racism as anything beyond wallpaper for its central nature girl fantasy of self-reliance. It would rather stay above the fray, gliding prettily along the marsh without actually getting dirty.
- 30TheWrapCarlos AguilarTheWrapCarlos AguilarFollowing her well-received debut “First Match,” Newman hits a sophomore slump with this literary reinterpretation, where the performances in general renounce nuance for theatricality and most storytelling decisions unfurl like a subpar pastiche of vague components we’ve seen and heard plenty of times before.
- 25ColliderAlyse WaxColliderAlyse WaxWhere the Crawdads Sing is a weirdly uncomfortable movie, on many different levels. If you haven’t read the book I can’t imagine you would want to see this movie; if you have read the book, I say proceed with great caution.