The Crow (2024)
Directed by: Rupert Sanders
Premise: Based on the comic book. Eric and Shelly (Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs) are murdered by the thugs of a supernatural gangster (Danny Huston). Eric returns from the grave to seek revenge.
What Works: The Crow was famously adapted for the screen in a 1994 film that is one of the great comic book movies. Although it still plays, the 1994 film had a style that was very specific to its era. The makers of 2024’s The Crow have not tried to replicate the look of its predecessor, opting instead for something more contemporary in the style and character design. The use of color in The Crow is occasionally interesting. The compositions are mostly washed out and grey but there are splashes of color here and there that draw the eye. The film includes a few novel visuals especially in the way the filmmakers imagine the afterlife and the last half hour has some artistry to its violence.
What Doesn’t: While 2024’s The Crow brings a new approach to the material, the storytelling is anemic. The narrative takes forever to get going. It’s a full half hour into this picture before Eric and Shelly are dead and the actual business of revenge can begin. The first quarter of the film is intended to establish Eric and Shelly’s relationship and what must be avenged. That gets to one of the core problems of The Crow. A revenge movie like this has to be fueled by mix of passion and righteous rage. The love story between Eric and Shelly is flat. Actors Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs are likable enough but there is no heat between them. Some of that is due to the performances but also the way in which their scenes are conceived and shot. Their murders are also staged clumsily. There is no sense of violation. Eric returns from the grave, swearing to “kill them, every last one of them,” but there is no telling who “them” are. None of the villains are characterized. What follows is a series of uninspired gun downs of generic action movie thugs. The middle of the film has no narrative shape or dramatic momentum. It’s just a bunch of scenes. With the exception of the very end, most of the action set pieces are done badly. There is no style or kineticism. For a movie about murder and revenge, this film is incredibly tedious.
Bottom Line: 2024’s The Crow is a slog. For all its violence, the film lacks in excitement or heartache. It’s a flat and empty viewing experience bereft of any impact other than boredom.
Episode: #1012 (September 8, 2024)