The movie begins on October 30, 1969, in the woods of North Carolina.
We see two kids riding their bikes when they stumble upon a dead body on the edge of the
swamp near a tower.
In utter fear, they call Sheriff Jackson and his coworker, who later recognize the body
as Mr. Chase Andrews, the best quarterback the town ever had.
What is surprising for the cops is that there are no footprints of him or anyone else in
the area.
As they climb up the tower, they realize that Chase might have fallen from the broken grate,
but Sherriff Jackson is still suspicious about this conclusion.
The autopsy report proves that a sudden impact from a 63-foot drop caused the death.
However, to hit the back of his head on the beam, he would have needed to fall backward, which
raises the possibility that he might have been pushed.
Moreover, the absence of fingerprints on the tower railing or grates, and the presence
of red fibers on Chase's denim jacket support the chances of him being murdered.
Later that night, when our two cops are sitting in a diner, they overhear some townspeople
accusing a girl who lives in the marsh of committing Chase's murder.
But what's interesting is that they don't even know what her name is.
All they know is there is a woman in the marsh, aka Marsh Girl, who is crazy enough for the
loony bin.
Suspecting something fishy, the officers visit Marsh Girl's house, only to discover something
unexpected related to the case.
As the door is opened and no one is there, they go inside when they find a red beanie,
presumably the source of those red fibers they found on Chase’s jacket.
Finally, we are introduced to Marsh Girl, a.k.a Kya Clark, who is hiding in the woods
to avoid getting caught.
After a day or two, the cops finally managed to find Kya while she is boating in the lake.
She tried to escape using her swimming skills, but fate had other plans.
The townspeople have made up their minds about Kya's involvement in the murder, and they're
starting to band together to spread propaganda against her, only to see her behind bars.
Despite all the public's negativity towards her, a retired lawyer, Tom Milton, visits
Kya in her cell, intending to help her prove her innocence.
However, when she stands trial, she will be judged by a jury of her peers, who only know
her as "The Marsh Girl."
To help Kya gain her freedom, Tom must reveal her true story to the judges.
At first, the scared Kya doesn't respond, but before Tom leaves, she finally opens up
about her past.
The movie then takes us back to 1953, which was 16 years ago.
Kya used to have a family and a loving mother who always made her smile.
She also has four estranged siblings, except for Jodie, who loved her.
One day, a local boy named Tate approaches their house, while Kya and her sisters are
playing inside their dad’s boat.
Here we just find out how violent Kya's father is, and when Tate tries to defend Kya, he
is instead given a warning not to return.
Later, the mother, Julienne, cannot bear the torture of her husband, and so she leaves
the house, never to return.
Kya tries to stop her, but it's as if Julienne isn't mentally able to hear her screams.
When she left, it seems like her siblings follow suit one by one, leaving Kya feeling
more alone than ever.
And finally, even Jodie, the one who had always cared for her has to go.
Kya cannot stop her tears seeing Jodie leave, and the boy isn't happy either to abandon
his little sister behind.
Before departing, he advises Kya to run and hide deep in the marsh, way out where the
crawdads sing, whenever she gets in trouble.
After everybody left, Kya learned from their mistakes and begins to avoid her father, Clark,
as much as possible to prevent herself from his wrath.
One day, she unexpectedly meets Tate, the fisherman's son and a friend of Jodie's.
There was something about him that eased the tightness in her chest.
For the first time since Mom and Jodie left, she feels something other than hurt.
With each passing day, Kya builds up the courage to ask her father for more food, so her dad
brings her to the store, where he can only afford to buy grits for their food.
The store owners, Mabel and Jumpin', sense the situation, and become increasingly kind
to Kya.
Mabel even encourages Kya to go to school, by offering her some clothes, and then secretly
giving her some free candy.
With the clothes given by Mabel, Kya decides to attend the school and gets to town, where
she runs into Tom, who directs her towards the school.
However, on Kya's first day, things turn for the worse as students mock her for her shabby
clothes and unkempt appearance, forcing her to leave and never return to school again.
To survive in this cruel world, she finds solace in boating, and her unintentional encounters
with Tate.
In the meantime, Clark begins to treat her nicely and even gives her his old army knapsack.
Just when things get a little smooth for Kya, a letter from her mother takes away even the
slightest ray of happiness from her life.
After reading the unexpected letter from Julienne, Clark burns it to ashes, snatching away from
Kya the chance to read a word of it.
He tells Kya that her mother isn’t coming back.
Heartbroken at losing her last hope of seeing her mother, the little girl saves the ashes
of the letter, so she can feel her mother's warmth in any way possible.
Later that night, Clark sets his wife's belongings on fire, while Kya watches helplessly from
inside.
And then, the day comes when Kya wakes to yet another terrible news; her father has
left her too.
The lack of food and other necessities makes it difficult for her to survive for long.
Kya then heads to the lake and collects mussels to sell at Mabel's shop.
In exchange for a few pounds of mussels each week, Jumpin' provides her with food, and
other vital supplies like a matchstick and a candle.
While Jumpin' approaches the situation with a business mindset, Mabel feels empathy for
the young girl and offers her clothes and shoes from time to time.
It's the present day, and Mabel still sends Kya some clothes she wears for her first trial.
If found guilty at the end of the trial, she will face the death penalty.
Chase's family lawyer persuades the jury that Kya lured Chase Andrews to the tower, and
pushed him to his death.
Meanwhile, Tom calms Kya down, and tells everyone that there’s no evidence to back up Chase’s
lawyer’s words.
Miss Kya finds herself here because it's easier to blame her based on where she came from
than to rely on facts.
Tom advises Kya to take a plea bargain.
This means that if she admits to being at the tower that night and having a disagreement
with Chase, resulting in a tragic accident, Tom can get her out of prison in as little
as six years.
The idea seems beneficial, but Kya won't say anything that implies guilt, and she wants
to get out of prison.
The movie then flashes back to 1962, when Kya has grown older.
She frequently spots a man in the woods, but never musters up the courage to talk to him.
The man then leaves her a feather, some seeds and a spark plug, as well as a few letters
that she can’t even read.
One day, when they come face to face, the man finally tells her that he is Tate, her
childhood friend.
An awkward conversation ensues between the two, ending with Tate offering to teach Kya
how to read and write.
Starting with the ABCs and moving on to basic biology, Kya learns passionately and develops
a taste for writing.
Her drawing skills have become exceptional, and her knowledge of feathers, birds, and
other local wildlife is unparalleled.
As time passes, she and Tate grow closer, sharing their pasts and mourning their losses.
Eventually, their love and care for each other lead them to begin a relationship.
Despite Kya's willingness to start a physical relationship, Tate denies the offer, fearing
for Kya's safety and reputation in town.
Meanwhile, social services begin to look for Kya to put her in a safe shelter, but in reality,
they are working with contractors to drain the swamp for hotel construction.
Despite these challenges, everything seems perfect in Kya's life, until Tate drops a
bombshell: he is going to college.
Devastated by the news, Kya struggles to control her emotions.
She wants Tate to stay, but contrary to what she had thought about their relationship,
Tate wants to study, and become more than just a fisherman.
Eventually, Kya says goodbye to him with a heavy heart, but not before Tate provides
her with a list of publishers to whom she can send all her drawings and notes, so she
can have an opportunity to earn more money.
Tate promises that he’ll never forget Kya, and that he'll be back in a month, on the
fourth of the next month to watch fireworks together.
He eventually leaves for college, leaving Kya all by herself once more.
Long story short, the day of Tate's return has arrived, and Kya can't wait to see him again.
She's wearing the dress Mabel gave her, and she eagerly waits for him the whole day at
the beach.
But unfortunately, Tate never shows up, leaving Kya to feel betrayed and distressed.
Later that night, she ends up watching the fireworks by herself, and wakes up the next
morning without seeing Tate.
Burning Tate's memories, she once again finds solace in the swamp, but it seems like she
will never be able to trust someone else again.
In the present day, the sheriff who investigates the crime scene argues that Chase's death
was a murder, citing the destroyed fingerprints and tracks as evidence.
However, Tom says that the tracks must have erased due to high tide.
Tom then brings the judge's attention to a crucial point; he reveals that the sheriff
had submitted a written request to the US Forest Service to repair the broken grates
in the tower the year before, warning that the grates could cause severe injury or death
if left untreated.
Meanwhile, Kya recalls the day in 1968, when she first met Chase and his family at the seashore.
Before they get to talk, Kya leaves for her house, only to see yet another developer clicking
the photos of the swamp.
At Mabel's store, Mable reveals that the developers are acquiring land to build hotels, and encourages
her to do everything it takes to keep her family's last memory.
In order to find out if this place really belongs to her, Kya heads to a land registrar,
and comes across Chase midway.
After accepting his offer for a date, Kya visits the land registrar, who later approves
that her grandpa bought the house.
However, she has to pay some back taxes, and some mean eight hundred dollars if she wants
to keep it.
Left with no other means of income, Kya opts to submit her samples to the publishers Tate
listed in the note, in the hopes of receiving a response from them.
Later, she joins Chase on a seaside date; but things take a turn for the worse when
she starts to feel that the handsome man from the town views her as worthless.
Realizing the mistake he made, Chase apologizes to Kya and takes her to the fire tower to
make amends.
As time passes, the two begin to spend more time together.
Kya didn't know exactly how she felt about Chase, but she was no longer lonely, and that
seemed enough for her.
Back in the court, it is time for that red wool found on Chase's denim jacket the night he died.
As the fibers from Kya's cap and the jacket match exactly, Chase’s lawyer claims she
is involved in the murder.
Tom quickly argues that the fibers could have been transferred onto Chase's clothes during
any of their previous encounters, which could have taken place weeks or even months before
the murder.
In the past, Kya receives a response from a publisher, who is captivated by her manuscript
and expresses a keen interest in editing and publishing it as soon as possible.
After Chase gets promoted in his job, he proposes to Kya, and Chase brings her to a hotel, where
she has her first sexual experience.
Here Kya gives him a rare and ornate shell necklace, which she had found on their first
date at the seashore.
However, when Chase died, Chase’s mother claims that the cops didn't find the necklace
on his body, leading them to suspect that Kya may have taken it before allegedly killing him.
But despite a thorough search of her house, the police were unable to find the necklace,
leaving the lawyer and Chase's mom nothing to accuse her of without evidence.
While Chase and Kya are still together, Tate finally returns from college, only to find
them happy as a couple.
However, he quickly realizes that Chase is not suitable for Kya when he makes inappropriate
comments about her body in public and behind her back.
Unable to tolerate it, Tate confronts him, and they get into a fight until Jumpin' intervenes.
Interestingly, Tate is wearing the same beanie whose wool was found on Chase's jacket.
Later that night, Tate visits Kya, who is furious with him for disappearing without
a trace, and not even writing back to let her know he was alive or dead.
Tate apologizes for leaving her; he believed that Kya wouldn't be able to leave the marsh
and adjust to a new life, which is why he didn't return.
But he eventually realized that he couldn't live without her.
Now that he's working at a new lab near town, he asks if there is any way Kya could forgive
him, but she says she doesn’t know.
Kya's relationship with Chase is perfect, until one day, she unexpectedly encounters him and
his friend in town, who introduces herself as his fiancée.
Kya feels betrayed that Chase acts like nothing happened between them, so she retreats to
her house.
Chase arrives only minutes later, but before he can catch up to her, Kya hides in the bushes.
She is determined not to give him another opportunity to take advantage of her.
Despite everything, there was still something good in Kya's life.
Her book gets published, giving her enough money to pay the taxes and get her house back.
She renovates and repurchase the 310 acres of lagoons, marsh, and oak forests.
One day, Jodie, her brother, appears out of nowhere after he sees Kya's book in the store.
Jodie has joined the army, and he reveals how their mother tried to reach out and take
back her children.
However, she received a threat from Clark, warning her not to contact them again or he
would beat the children unrecognizably.
Julienne had saved up money for lawyers and everything, but then she got sick and died
of leukemia.
Seeing Kya's success, Chase attempts to re-enter her life, but her repeated rejections lead
him to lose control, and try to assault her sexually.
Though Kya escapes by striking him with a rock, she warns him not to bother her again,
or she will kill him.
This death threat is overheard by a fisherman, who later gives a statement against her in court.
After Chase's attack, Kya begins to feel unsafe all the time, spending nights outside her
house hiding in the bushes.
One day, as Tate arrives to check on Kya, he is outraged to see the bruises on her face.
Despite his desire to beat the shit out of Chase, Kya implores him to leave it be and
let her move on.
Tate then encourages her to attend the meeting with her publishers in Greenville, and gives
Kya his red beanie.
It is unclear whether Kya kept the cap, if she did, it raises questions about how wool
fibers from it could have ended up on Chase's jacket if their relationship was already ended.
The following week, everybody saw Kya leaving the town for her meeting in Greenville.
She meets with the publishers over dinner, and it was later that night when Chase lost
his life.
But the publisher claims they had another meeting with Kya the next morning, and that
she seemed perfectly normal.
Even so, Chase’s family lawyer learns that they stayed at separate hotels, and shows
that Kya stayed at a hotel close to the bus station.
He claims she took an overnight bus trip to the town and killed Chase.
On the last day of the trial, Jodie, Mabel, Jumpin, and even Tate attend to show their
support for Kya.
Based on what Chase's family lawyer claimed before, Tom makes one final effort to defend
Kya by stating that it’s really impossible for her to leave town in the bus without anyone
witnessing her.
She also has to find Chase in the middle of the night, lures him to the tower, kills him,
wipes away all the evidence, and then, after completing all of these actions in less than
an hour, catches the last bus back to Greenville, which Tom claims doesn't make any sense.
He then advises the judges to make decisions based on the facts presented in this courtroom,
rather than on what people have said and thought about the marsh girl for her entire life.
When they’re waiting for the judges’ decision, Tom tells Jodie and Tate that whatever the
decision is, they must accept it.
And then the decision has been made.
Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for arrives as the jury finds Kya not guilty
of first-degree murder in Chase's death.
After the case is dismissed, Kya and Tate reconcile and spend their lives together,
enjoying the beauty of the marsh.
Tate asks if she wants to marry him, and she thinks they already are.
As time goes on, Kya keeps working on her books, and is frequently visited by Jodie’s family.
And just like that, the two continue to live in the marsh and grow older together.
One day while boating alone, Kya sees the spirit of her mother, who has come to take
her to the afterlife.
Finally, with tears in his eyes, Tate watches Kya die on the boat.
While going through her belongings the days after, Tate discovers a book with a quote
stating, "Every creature does what it must to survive, and sometimes for prey to live,
its predator must die."
It is accompanied by a drawing of Chase.
And then he finds the missing seashell necklace with bloodstains on it.
This discovery leads Tate to realize that Kya truly did murder him in order to keep
her life as prey.
The movie ends with Tate tossing Chase's necklace into the water, concealing Kya's potential
secret forever.