“A woman who raised herself in the marshes of the Deep South becomes a suspect in the murder of a man with whom she was once involved.” -IMDB
First of all, let me say that I have not read the book and I’m sure that put me at an advantage watching this movie as I was not constantly comparing it to the source material. That being said, I feel bad for anyone who loved the book because I am absolutely sure that this is not the movie they wanted.
At times, I wasn’t sure if I just watching the true crime version of a Nicholas Sparks story. Basically, there’s a love triangle between the respectful blonde and the dastardly brunette over the mysterious “marsh girl” who only wants to be loved. Okay, maybe that’s simplifying it a bit too much, but I promise that I’m not far off.
SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD
And while the the love triangle ends in a much more brutal way that a Sparks story, with the death of one of the young lovers, the film seemed to shy away from this part of the story. Instead, the murder trial storyline is barely featured and ends with the film basically condoning murder, if the victim is enough of an asshole.
I will say that I was entertained enough to finish the movie. Performances from the supporting cast (particularly David Strathairn, Sterling Macer Jr., and Michael Hyatt) and the beautiful location helped keep me intrigued. But there was absolutely no element of surprise and by the end, I felt (as I usually do) that I should have just read the book.
Rating: 5 out 10 Claire Bears
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If you like this movie, you should also watch: Amsterdam, Don’t Worry Darling
Streaming: Netflix
With: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson
Directed By: Olivia Newman
Let Me Clarify 