Remember the missing trigger warning in Blink Twice? Well, The Crow has a trigger warning, but it is the wrong one. This film needs a warning about its toe-curling dialogue and characters that lack any semblance of chemistry. Based on James O’Barr’s comic book series and Alex Proyas’ captivating 1994 film, this uninspired reboot, directed by Rupert Sanders (known for directing the Foundation pilot), crawls along at the pace of congealing gum in a deserted post office.
The Crow, the fifth installment in the franchise, starts off with a grim scene involving a dying horse (drawing immediate black marks for animal violence). The horse is ensnared in barbed wire, and a young boy attempts to rescue it. This traumatized boy, Eric (played by Bill Skarsgård), is later depicted struggling with addiction in adulthood. Meanwhile, pianist Shelly (portrayed by FKA Twigs) also battles her own addiction issues. When Shelly’s friend Zadie (Isabella Wei) sends her a troubling video, Shelly goes on the run from Roeg (Danny Huston), a sinister patron of the arts and a crime lord with a Faustian bargain.
The plot thickens when Shelly is caught by police and sent to rehab, where she meets Eric. When Roeg’s right-hand woman, Marian (Laura Birn), shows up at the rehab facility, Eric and Shelly escape together. They take refuge in Shelly’s friend’s luxurious apartment and develop a romantic relationship, spending nights partying aimlessly. Their new-found bliss is short-lived, as Roeg’s henchmen soon track them down and brutally murder them both.
However, the story doesn’t end there for Eric. He awakens in an abandoned train station where he encounters Cronos (Sami Bouajila), who briefs him about his new reality: a purgatory-style halfway house. As long as Eric’s love remains pure, he is invincible.
. He embarks on a snail-paced journey of revenge against the wicked in hopes of being reunited with his one true love.
While the production design of this film is indeed noteworthy, replicating the grim yet intricate aesthetics of the original, and the trippy soundscape strikes a chord at times, these aspects are not enough to salvage the movie. Unfortunately, the sluggish pace combined with leaden dialogues and poorly developed plotlines drags it down drastically.
The operatic climax, though visually striking being intercut with an actual opera, feels gratuitous rather than gripping. Equally disappointing is the lack of chemistry between Twigs and Skarsgård, making it arduous for the audience to emotionally invest in their love story. There’s little to no depiction of timeless love; rather, it appears the characters are simply using each other out of convenience. The movie script does these talented actors no favors.
Adding to the confusion, the storyline introduces numerous filler elements like the mysterious video that contributes nothing significant to the plot. Even the crow, a symbol of rebirth and ancestral connection in various cultures, including Hindu mythology, feels shoehorned into the narrative. At best, it floats indistinctly within scenes, becoming one of many underutilized characters, such as Shelly’s mom Sophia (Josette Simon) and an unnamed pianist who merely exists to make googly eyes at Roeg.
One fleeting moment gave a glimmer of what could have been: a chase scene briefly rendering Eric as a Gothic Terminator-like figure. Nonetheless, this image disintegrates almost instantly into the morass of unfulfilled potential that characterizes the film.
The Crow’s reboot, while ambitious in its intentions, ultimately feels like a torpid misfire, failing to capture the dark magic of its predecessor. With its disjointed plotlines, lifeless romance, and redundant characters, the film falls short of offering anything memorable or meaningful. For fans of the franchise and those unfamiliar alike, The Crow reboot is running in theatres, but it’s a shadow of the compelling tale it once was.
