The Crow (2024)

The year was 1994; Kurt Cobain is dead. OJ is on trial and star Brandon Lee, son of legend Bruce Lee, has died on the set of his soon-to-be-iconic role in The Crow. The original film, directed by Alex Proyas, became a subliminal piece of 90’s pop iconography after its release. Whether you look at its powerful images, made even more melancholic by its real-life tragedy, smash-hit 90’s industrial rock soundtrack featuring the likes of Nine Inch Nails, The Cure and Stone Temple Pilots or its influential gothic production design, The Crow is a film that has stood the test of time.

Based on James O’Barr’s original comic strip, the project has always stemmed from tragedy. O’Barr’s comic was heavily influenced by the unfortunate death of his fiancé, killed by a drunk driver. Seeking to cope with his grief, O’Barr created the character as means to pour his pain into his art. After a number of lackluster sequels that either went straight-to-dvd or were immediately forgotten, the road to a new iteration of The Crow has seen countless years of development hell. Having finally come together, the latest film, directed by Snow White and the Hunstman and Ghost in the Shell’s Rupert Sanders, is yet another forgettable attempt at recapturing the power of O’Barr’s creation; still lingering in the shadow of the late, Brandon Lee.

Courtesy Lionsgate

Eric (Bill Skarsgård) is a dissociative loner living in a rehab facility. He meets the free-spirited Shelly (FKA Twigs), who is on the run from the mysterious Roeg (Danny Huston), a powerful Crime Boss who once made a deal with the devil in order to live eternal life. Roeg collects souls through black magic and condemns them to hell, but Shelly has a video of him committing a crime, the whereabouts of which only she knows. As Eric and Shelly break free from rehab and live life on the run, Roeg and his goons catch them, brutally murdering the two lovers. Instead of death, Eric is awoken in a purgatory state where he is reborn into the iconic figure of revenge, where he offers up his soul to be condemned in exchange for Shelly’s.

The Crow has many ingredients at its disposal to be a worthy new reboot, with a well-cast Bill Skarsgård taking over the role made famous by the late, Brandon Lee, and a director with a keen eye for slick visuals in Rupert Sanders. Immediately, it’s made clear the approach to the story is different, with the murder of Eric and Shelly not occurring until well into the 40-minute mark. Attempting to tell a complete origin story of the character while simultaneously serving as a reboot and retelling of the original film, the narrative attempts too much and comes away with little. Whereas Proyas’ original film was straightforward in its approach to its central revenge plot, Sanders’ film is far more convoluted.

What makes the original work so well, setting aside the cloud of tragedy from its star’s untimely demise, is the emotional simplicity at its core. Eric and Shelly are randomly targeted by a group of thugs and are savagely murdered. No greater meaning or purpose, they’re simply slaughtered by the barbaric nature of mankind. In the 2024 reboot, we’re treated to an overly-busy and clunky set up involving betrayals and muddled mythology which detracts from the power of the source material. What should have been an easy layup is instead a big narrative mess.

Director Rupert Sanders implements a slick style that only ever comes alive during the few action set pieces. In fact, the action is easily the most involving element of the film. An early car chase makes solid use of a confined spaces. We’re treated to some truly nasty bursts of gore, including a sword through the mouth which is honestly a spectacular bit of on-screen brutality. A third act sequence set at an opera is easily the film’s biggest highlight. Not only featuring the film’s most complicated fight choreography, chunky carnage and neat compositions, but it might actually be one of the best set pieces of the year.

Courtesy Lionsgate

For much of the runtime that isn’t an action sequence, The Crow feels like a slog. The convoluted plotting leaves the film feeling dramatically inert, making the spaces between the spectacle feel dry. We don’t even get an immersive world to plunge ourselves into. The original film had such a specific feel of grit and texture to it. Set in a near post-apocalyptic vision of Detroit on Devil’s Night, Proyas’ film had a sense of place that was dripped in atmosphere. This new film is set in a generically neo-noir big city that feels like it could be anywhere.

In a role coveted by many over the years, including Bradley Cooper, Luke Evans and even Jason Momoa, Bill Skarsgård’s performance is strong, but this iteration doesn’t have the depth or gravitas to overcome weak material. Skarsgård’s Eric Draven is largely subtle, making his eventual turn into The Crow feel inauthentic. There was a playfulness to Lee’s performance that skillfully masked the character’s anger and seething rage. This Crow just feels brooding and angsty.

Skarsgård and FKA Twigs have a nice chemistry with one another, making the inevitable tragedy hit with some sense of pathos, but the narrative isn’t able to carry those emotions throughout the runtime. We, frankly, don’t feel much for their love that is somehow supposed to represent a transcendent force.

Courtesy Lionsgate

The Crow has one notably stellar action sequence, a committed lead performance from Bill Skarsgård and some vicious gore. However, the convoluted plotting renders the film largely  inert from a dramatic standpoint. This isn’t a total creative disaster, but it’s a reboot that simply doesn’t have much to offer on its own merits.

The Crow is now playing in theaters.