The Crow (2024) spoiler free review
True love never dies. The Crow is a 2024 American gothic superhero film directed by Rupert Sanders. it is the fifth film in the franchise, and is the second film to directly adapt the 1989 comic book series of the same name by James O’Barr. It had its world premiere on August 20, 2024 in New York City, and was released on August 23, 2024 in the United States by Lionsgate.
Soulmates Eric Draven and Shelly Webster are brutally murdered when the demons of her dark past catch up with them. Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Draven returns to seek bloody revenge against the killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put the wrong things right.
Film synopsis
The cast includes Bill Skarsgård as Eric / The Crow, FKA Twigs as Shelly, Danny Huston as Vincent Roeg, Josette Simon as Sophia, Laura Birn as Marian, Sami Bouajila as Kronos, Isabella Wei as Zadie, and Jordan Bolger as Chance.
My Opinion
They say love conquers all things, it’s what moves and connects us. For Eric Draven, love will lead him on a path of revenge and pain. After he and his girlfriend Shelly are brutally murdered, he is presented with the opportunity to make things right and save the soul of the love of his life.
Thirty years ago, The Crow arrived on the big screen surrounded by tragedy. Even so, that first adaptation of the comic written by James O’Barr gained the support of fans, who turned it into a cult film, and left us with the beautiful memory of Brandon Lee’s talent. Now this story returns to the big screen starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs with a different version. But, not all stories should be changed.
Moving away from the dark, gothic atmosphere that characterizes the 1994 adaptation, this one dives into modernism, stripping it of its essence. The physical change of the character Eric Draven is not even justified, leaving the question of why they changed his design in the first place. This new version explores Eric and Shelly’s relationship more, but instead of it being a genuine relationship, it becomes questionable and lacking in chemistry. The soundtrack that accompanies the story also does not provide a positive aspect. The chosen music does not fit with the scenes or story, even making it seem like placing an opera during a fight scene was intended to provide a comic touch. The story lacks coherence and some elements and characters that are presented do not contribute anything to it, being unnecessary since the outcome would have been the same without them.
Skarsgård gives it his best, but it’s not enough to save the film. The script and direction give us a “broken” crow with an emo aura instead of a man who suffers the death of his beloved and only wants to seek justice and be at peace with her. The attempt to modernize this story can be noted, but it is not executed effectively. The intentions were there, they just weren’t thought through.