“The Song of the Crayfish”
Shallow adaptation of a mega bestseller
Daisy Edgar Jones as Kya and Taylor John Smith as Tate Walker.
©SonyPictures
With “The Song of the Crayfish” the film adaptation of one of the most successful books of recent years is coming to the cinemas.
No literary fan has been able to avoid the successful novel “The Song of the Crayfish” by Delia Owens (73) in recent years. Since 2019, the mystery bestseller has been in the top ranks of the bestseller lists in Germany almost without a break. In the USA it was the most successful book of 2019, in Germany the second most successful 2020. It was only a matter of time before the story of the “march girl” Kya was filmed and brought to the cinemas. The Hollywood film “The Song of the Crayfish” starts in German cinemas on August 18th. Does the strip live up to the hype of the book? This is what viewers can expect – regardless of whether they have read the novel before or not.
The clarification of a mysterious death
The film begins with the mysterious death of popular quarterback Chase Andrews in 1965. He is found lifeless under a fire lookout tower in the swamp of Barkley Cove, a fictional North Carolina town. Was it murder or an accident? There is no evidence of third-party negligence. But the village and the investigating police officers quickly found a culprit: Kya, whom everyone disparagingly called the “march girl”. She has to stand her ground in court. is she innocent What was her relationship with Andrews about?
In leaps in time between the investigations of the present and Kya’s growing up, moviegoers get to know the accused. After first the mother and then all siblings left the violent father, the youngest of the family lives with him in the swamp area. When he doesn’t return one day either, the girl is on her own. She grows up alone in the swamp and lives there in harmony with nature.
Her only contacts are the shop owner Jumpin’ and his wife and Tate Walker, who is a few years older than him. She meets him in the swamp, where the nature-loving boy is staying with his boat. He teaches the inquisitive Kya to read. Over the years, the friendship develops into a love affair. But Chase Andrews also becomes aware of the enigmatic beauty. Was his enthusiasm for Kya his undoing? Or are you trying to frame her for a murder that never happened?
Reese Witherspoon has taken on the next bestselling film adaptation
The film was produced by Reese Witherspoon (46) and the production company Hello Sunshine she founded. With this, the actress has made a name for herself with successful book adaptations in recent years. In addition to “Gone Girl” and “Big Little Lies”, the company is also responsible for the forthcoming film adaptations of the bestsellers “Daisy Jones and The Six” and “I, Eleanor Oliphant”. It is therefore not surprising that Witherspoon has dared to tackle another mega bestseller with “The Song of the Crayfish”.
Despite the big Hollywood star behind the project, the film otherwise counts on promising but rather unknown names. The bestseller was adapted by screenwriter Lucy Alibar (39). Director Olivia Newman made her debut with the Netflix film First Match in 2018. The cast is also characterized by newcomers: Leading actress Daisy Edgar-Jones (24) had her breakthrough in 2020 with the success of the series “Normal People” and got her first big movie role with Kya. Tate actor Taylor John Smith (27, “Sharp Objects”) and Harris Dickinson (26, “The King’s Man”), who embodies Chase Andrews in the film, are still at the beginning of their careers.
Whodunit thriller meets impressive natural romance
The film starts somberly and promises the viewers the beginning of a classic “whodunit” crime thriller. Who is to blame for Chase Andrew’s death? But the film breaks with the depressing mood several times and surprises these initial expectations. The impressive, sometimes almost kitschy nature shots from the Great Dismal Swamp, for example, form a stark contrast to brutal themes such as death, alcohol addiction or abuse. Scenes like the first kiss between Kya and the village boy Tate also stick. The moment in the rain of leaves makes you forget that “The Song of the Crayfish” is a mystery thriller and not a romantic love film.
At the same time, the girl Kya, left alone, transforms into an emancipated young woman in the course of the film. She can express herself flawlessly, is perfectly dressed and even lands a book deal. In the romanticized setting, however, this unusual coming-of-age seems clichéd and implausible instead of inspiring. It doesn’t seem conclusive that an entire village believes in an alleged murder at her hands. This logical gap isn’t cleared up by the many flashback scenes either. The film fails to fully take the viewer along on its journey.
Bestselling film adaptation with a lack of depth
On the other hand, the acting performance of the main actress Daisy Edgar-Jones is impressive in addition to the beautiful nature shots. It lends freshness and depth to the otherwise often bobbing film. But even she can’t save the shallow plot.
The film surprises – at least viewers who haven’t read the book – with a dramatic twist at the end. But even this has lost its momentum compared to the bestseller. So much can be revealed: What exactly happened on the night of Chase Andrew’s death – the film owes these answers to the end. Instead, he tries to present a parable of female liberation and independence in a male-dominated world. However, these statements lose their credibility due to gaps in content and exaggerated clichés.