When the first pictures of Rupert Sanders’ The Crow appeared at the end of February 2024, the internet quickly realized that the film would not work. By the time the trailer came out almost a month later, the verdict had been made: too emo, too much like Jared Leto’s Joker and too different from the 1994 film – The Crow24 is another remake/reboot that nobody needs!
The fantasy film is not perfect, but not a complete disaster either
Now that The Crow has hit the cinemas, all of its early critics should feel vindicated. Because the reviews and audience opinions on the film are devastating (via Digital Spy ). From “one of the worst films of the entire millennium”the “doesn’t do much more than really sully the original” is mentioned there among other things. The film is long-winded, its love story is unbelievable. It seems like it was thought up by a teenager in his rebellious phase and Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs have zero chemistry.
Yes, The Crow is not without its faults, but it is also far from being an unwatchable disaster. Because when the young couple in their underwear romp through the designer apartment, drunk with love, or Eric tries his way through Shelly’s closet, then that has a certain vibe. Just as it is appealing to once again to go back to his teenage years – to wallow in (heart) pain and dream of a pathetic once-in-a-lifetime goth romance. The film knows about this appeal, its critics apparently do not. The Crow24 likes “a 14-year-old’s fantasy fueled by pseudo-profound Tumblr quotes” remember (quote Kino-Zeit ), but: so what?
The bad reactions are a self-fulfilling prophecy
In addition, the former advertising filmmaker Rupert Sanders (Ghost in the Shell) has a knack for stylish and atmospheric images. The approach of putting the love story between Eric and Shelly more into focus is as interesting as it is understandable. The increased level of violence (the opera sequence!) is a feast for every Edgelord. And when the two newly-in-love couples escape from rehab to Joy Division’s “Disorder” while Ian Curtis “I’ve been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand” sings, you can safely find it good without irony.
This raises the question: would those who had already criticized the film so much beforehand have been willing to acknowledge its qualities now? Because there are definitely some!
Remake, reboot, re-imagination: The Crow should at best be understood as a standalone film
Things get complicated when it comes to the question of how Sanders’ film relates to James O’Barr’s graphic novel from 1989 and Alex Proyas’ film The Crow from 1994. Sanders never tires of emphasizing that his film is not a remake of Proyas’, but rather his adaptation of O’Barr’s The Crow. According to his own statement to EW, he has always been a great admirer of the comic, which is reflected in the fact that Eric’s look (bare torso, long leather coat) and the katana come directly from it.
At the same time, his film allows itself even more freedom in dealing with the original than Proyas’ film already did. It is therefore recommended that Sanders’ film, as he also recommends to ntv, be viewed primarily as a “Reinterpretation of the Crow mythology” to understand. For those who understand The Crow24 less as a one-to-one implementation of O’Barr’s work, but rather than an independent filmwho wants to create something of their own in the spirit of the graphic novel will be the most likely to recognize what is great about this one.
Proyas’ and Sanders’ films are therefore difficult to compare. If anything, it could be said that both are children of their time in many respects (atmosphere, music, art style). So you can easily dislike Sanders’ decision to turn 90s rocker Eric with a penchant for Satanism into a Soundcloud musician in the style of Post Malone or Lil Peep. But this creative decision has a lot more in common with Proyas’ film than you might initially assume.
The new The Crow is a celebration of adolescence
At one point in the new film, Eric speaks to Shelly about the book she is reading. It is a book by Arthur Rimbaud. The work and life of the French poet, who became famous at the age of 16, are characterized by a radical defensive attitude against the bourgeoisie, the church and the state. His work can pubertal in the best sense be called.
It is therefore very telling that he was chosen as the author of Shelly’s book. The same could be said about Sanders’ The Crow. Especially when you consider that puberty is the phase in a person’s life when you fight against all forms of mediocrity, when no feeling can be big enough and you would be willing to burn the whole world down or go through hell for the things and/or people you love.
Many people look back on this phase of their lives as adults with shame. The Crow24 does not. He celebrates adolescence without resistance. And this is exactly what we can take away from the film. Instead of trying to feel particularly grown-up by rejecting everything that reminds us of puberty, we should probably learn to channel our inner teenager. A film like the new The Crow appears in a whole new light and can bring a lot of joy.