The Crow
Sometimes the original is all you need
When the trailer for this movie first emerged, I questioned whether we needed a remake of The Crow in 2024. The original celebrating its 30th anniversary this year has become a cult classic with its gothic aesthetic, scenes of graphic violence, and Brandon Lee’s death on set becoming part of its folklore.
Last weekend, I sat in the cinema and gave this film the benefit of the doubt to see if it could impress me.
The film focuses on Eric (Bill Skarsgård) and Shelly (FKA Twigs), two troubled people who find each other in a rehabilitation centre and discover their soulmates. Unfortunately for them both, the honeymoon period doesn’t last long as Shelly’s past catches up to her, resulting in both of their deaths.
In the afterlife, Eric is informed by his guide that he has the chance to bring Shelly back to life by seeking revenge on those who killed the couple. Eric is then gifted with immortal powers to get the job done, even if he can feel the pain of any injuries he suffers along the way.
The dark and grimy look of the film as Eric navigates through this bleak-looking city is great for building atmosphere and tension. Unfortunately, the brightly lit scenes in the rehab centre and the apartment Eric and Shelly crash at disrupt this mood. Maybe this was to highlight the love between them but there could have been better ways to show this. The scene where they are on the rooftop together is a clear example of this, demonstrating the connection between them whilst not compromising on the dark tone of the film.
Their relationship for the most part feels emotionally restrained. This could simply be explained by how comfortable they are with each other or rooted in their damaged pasts and substance abuse behaviour.
In between these possibilities is the explanation of Eric’s and Shelly’s chemistry, it would be great for the viewer to have a clear understanding of where that was coming from. There also appears to be time dilation to highlight how long Eric and Shelly had been together. This isn’t answered in the movie, and it feels ambiguous so you couldn’t critique the commitment of two people who could have only known each other for a couple of days.
The film felt as though it missed an opportunity to expand on the central character’s backstories. There is a desire to learn Shelly’s back story and how she ended up mixing with the people who killed her. You also want to understand how Vincent (David Huston) became the film’s villain, how he developed his power to possess others or why he wants to drink the blood of the immortal Eric when he can continue to live on by drinking normal human blood. Sadly, these are left for the audience to ponder over themselves with the hints the movie offers.
When it comes to violence, this film tries its best to outshine the violence you see in the original. There are plenty of guns, swords, and car chases to make that happen. However, the film’s big action-packed fight scene at the opera is where everything gets intense. The graphic ways Eric kills the bodyguards and shows off his trophies on stage felt unnecessary and predictable.
The gritty landscape of this city has you buying into this universe, however, the questions in the plot and character development, disrupt the experience of the film.
There could be no fault in arguing this would have worked better as a television series to take a deeper dive into the characters' backstories. As a result, this new take on The Crow missed its opportunity to build on the legacy of the original and provide an entertaining story for movie-goers to enjoy.
Liam Donohoe