With much of the story told in flashback, we learn how 'Marsh Girl' Catherine Danielle 'Kya' Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones) was abandoned by her abused mother, followed by their equally menaced siblings, and left alone to fend for herself as a young girl who tried to maintain a respectable distance from her despicable father while growing up. Befriended by a compassionate black couple who owned a small general store in Barkley Cove, North Carolina, Kya managed to mature into a productive young woman with a passion for nature and a talent that allowed her to earn an income that eventually paid the back taxes on land handed down to her family through generations. Compressed to a movie running time of just over two hours, I had some trouble reconciling the adult Kya's sophistication in both appearance and intelligence, given the lack of opportunity in a backwater environment, so that seemed inadequately dealt with.
What makes the story interesting of course, is the question of Kya's guilt or innocence in the death of her purported fiancé Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson). She's linked to his death because of how their relationship soured when it was revealed that in fact, he was already engaged to one of the town's upper-class women. This is where the story gets a bit sticky for my taste, since there is no conclusive evidence to even come close to determining that Kya had a hand in killing him. There isn't even conclusive evidence that the man was murdered, considering the scene of his death and the probability that it was an unfortunate accident. As Kya's attorney, Tom Milton (David Strathairn) makes a credible defense of Kya that leads to her exoneration of a crime, even if we're left uncertain that a crime may have been committed.
Going in, I had heard how the story ended, so my anticipation for how the revelation was made is what really intrigued me. Upon Kya's passing after living a full life to a ripe old age, her first lover and husband Tate (Taylor John Smith) discovers to his horror that the woman he married was more than capable of murder. With that revelation, one must harken back to Attorney Milton's closing argument, making the case that she couldn't have possibly killed Chase Andrews, given her circumstances at the time traveling back and forth to neighboring Greenville, in disguise, without anyone noticing her movements, and leaving no evidence at the scene of the crime. Apparently, she did so without fanfare while keeping her secret from authorities and loved ones over the years. One has to question however, how thorough the local sheriff's investigation could have been if they couldn't find the evidence hiding in plain sight.
What makes the story interesting of course, is the question of Kya's guilt or innocence in the death of her purported fiancé Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson). She's linked to his death because of how their relationship soured when it was revealed that in fact, he was already engaged to one of the town's upper-class women. This is where the story gets a bit sticky for my taste, since there is no conclusive evidence to even come close to determining that Kya had a hand in killing him. There isn't even conclusive evidence that the man was murdered, considering the scene of his death and the probability that it was an unfortunate accident. As Kya's attorney, Tom Milton (David Strathairn) makes a credible defense of Kya that leads to her exoneration of a crime, even if we're left uncertain that a crime may have been committed.
Going in, I had heard how the story ended, so my anticipation for how the revelation was made is what really intrigued me. Upon Kya's passing after living a full life to a ripe old age, her first lover and husband Tate (Taylor John Smith) discovers to his horror that the woman he married was more than capable of murder. With that revelation, one must harken back to Attorney Milton's closing argument, making the case that she couldn't have possibly killed Chase Andrews, given her circumstances at the time traveling back and forth to neighboring Greenville, in disguise, without anyone noticing her movements, and leaving no evidence at the scene of the crime. Apparently, she did so without fanfare while keeping her secret from authorities and loved ones over the years. One has to question however, how thorough the local sheriff's investigation could have been if they couldn't find the evidence hiding in plain sight.