When Netflix revealed its slate of new content coming to the streaming service in November 2022, it didn’t include the 2022 feature film. Where the Crawdads sing, but the controversial film is now streaming on the platform anyway! The sudden arrival of the film, based on the best-selling novel by Delia Owens and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, can be attributed to the deal Netflix previously struck with Sony Pictures. Through the deal, Netflix holds the first streaming rights to Sony Pictures movies after they were released in theaters and on home video, which saw movies like Unexplored and Morbius come on Netflix.
The sudden arrival of Where the Crawdads sing on Netflix, the first thing we noticed upon logging into the streamer, was a welcome new addition to their stable of movies for many viewers. Subscribers were surprised that the film became available without fanfare, many are already watching it for a good cry.”Where the Crawdads sing is a beautiful movie and I look forward to the day when I can watch it without crying for two hours straight,” said one user. wroteanother one added: “It felt like a good cry movie. Where the Crawdads Sing filled the bill.”
Why is it Where the Crawdads sing controversial?
All the controversies surrounding Where the Crawdads sing has more to do with the source material, the novel by Delia Owens which sold over 15 million copies, than with the film; but being an adaptation of that text has understandably also drawn the ire of some as it maintains many of its issues. Largely, crawdads = crawfish was criticized by many for its stereotypical depiction of its black characters, of which there are only two despite its Deep South setting. This, however, was overshadowed by controversy within its plot.
In short, the story of crawdads = crawfish centers on a young girl who lives in North Carolina and is tried for the murder of a football star. The “has she or hasn’t she” of the plot is a major focal point, and to some has an uncanny similarity to the author’s real life. According to reports, including a major article on the subject in The Atlantic, author Delia Owens is wanted for questioning in the murder of a contemporary man in Zambia. Owens is no suspect in the matter, but the similarities have a lot of people scratching their heads anyway.
What is Where the Crawdads sing on?
The film’s official synopsis from Sony Pictures says it follows the story of Kya, an abandoned girl who is raised to adulthood in the dangerous swamps of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the strong and resilient Kya from her community. Attracted by two young men from the city, Kya opens up to a new and surprising world; but when one of them is found dead, she is immediately singled out by the community as the prime suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict on what really happened becomes increasingly hazy, threatening to reveal the many secrets that lay in the swamp.
Daisy Edgar-Jones (Fresh, Under the Banner of Heaven) stars as Kya in the film, alongside Taylor John Smith (Sharp Objects) as Tate Walker, Harris Dickinson (The King’s Man) as Chase Andrews, Michael Hyatt (Snowfall) as Mabel, Sterling Macer, Jr. (Double Down) as Jumpin’, and David Strathairn (Nomadland) as Tom Milton. Olivia Newman directed the project from a script by Lucy Alibar (Beasts of the Southern Wild). The 3000 Pictures film was produced by Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter. The film also notably featured an original song, “Carolina”, written and performed by Taylor Swift.
