Capitalizing on the theatrical release of Twisters, the spiritual sequel to the 1996 film, Netflix has added to its catalog Where the Crawdads Sing, the film adaptation of Delia Owens' acclaimed novel that was brought to the big screen in 2022 featuring a magnificent Daisy Edgar-Jones, who leads the cast of the summer blockbuster, in the starring role. 

It seems the move has paid off, as their subscribers seem to have recognized the face of the actress from the current hit movie on the poster. Whether for this reason or others, it has entered directly into the second most-watched position on the platform.

Where the Crawdads Sing in the title is Kya, a abandoned child at the age of six, who was raised into adulthood in the dangerous swamps of North Carolina. She is a sensitive and intelligent young woman who has survived in solitude in the marshes, with nature as her only friend.

Her solitary life gets complicated when a man is found murdered in the swamp, then she is accused of first-degree murder and prejudged by the wary townspeople. At that moment, all her mysteries will come to light.

The novel is a bestseller

Owens, a zoologist, grew up in Thomasville, Georgia, and most of the time lived in wild or near wild areas. She graduated in zoology from the University of Georgia and got her doctorate in animal behavior from the University of California, Davis.

After spending most of her life as an academic exploring the behavioral ecology of African wildlife, Owens wrote Where the Crawdads Sing in 2018. The novel was an instant success and topped the New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 2019 and 2020 for 32 weeks.

Taylor Swift composed a song 

The adaptation rights were acquired by Reese Witherspoon through her production company Hello Sunshine. Taylor Swift, also a fan of the work, composed Carolina, an original song, which won an MTV Movie & TV Award and was nominated for several awards, such as a Critics' Choice Award, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, and a Satellite Award.

An unexpected box office success

On its opening weekend, the film exceeded all expectations and ranked third on the box office chart, behind Thor: Love and Thunder and Minions: The Rise of Gru. It grossed 90.2 million dollars in the United States and Canada, and 54.1 million in other territories, resulting in a global revenue of 144.3 million dollars.

Four weeks after its release, the film had grossed four times its budget of 24 million dollars; Forbes stated that this was "another example of how what Hollywood thinks will make money is not always what makes money." 

Regarding the unexpected success of the film, Witherspoon said: "This movie wasn't on the radar of many people, but it's a return to true cinema. It's a moving experience, with beautiful sets and costumes and wonderful actors. It's almost nostalgic of what you wanted to see in the summer."

Critical reception

Liz Shannon Miller, a critic from Consequence, rated the film with an outstanding and described it as a "lush, lyrical, and absorbing Southern Gothic drama". Miller also stated that "it's hard to imagine anyone else capturing Kya's innocence and intelligence as skillfully as Edgar-Jones does".

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times said it was "one of the best-shot films of 2022 and praised Edgar-Jones's performance. Meanwhile, Owen Gleiberman, film critic for Variety, called the film a "parable about power and independence of women in a world dominated by male will"; highlighting the "dark and serious sensuality of Edgar-Jones".

*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence