The first film about Eric Draven, who is awakened from the dead to avenge his murdered girlfriend Shelly, achieved cult status. Partly due to an iconic goth soundtrack and stylized darkness, but perhaps mainly because of the tragedy surrounding actor Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's son), who gave an unforgettable performance but was accidentally shot to death during filming.
"The Crow" in 2024, starring Bill Skarsgård in the lead role, has been marketed as based on the comic book series written by James O'Barr and "not a remake" of the 1994 film. Regardless, the new version is not appreciated by American critics.
New York Times writes that it lacks all spirituality from both the comic book series and the original film, and likens it to a Halloween costume, also writing that the love story has "as much genuine feeling as a perfume commercial with Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox".
"They've finally made a 'The Crow' for goth-incompetents" writes Vulture.
Rolling Stone praises Bill Skarsgård's performance but writes that the entire film is "DOA – dead on arrival" – dead even before the characters are murdered.
Hollywood Reporter writes that the film is a "slow, serious downer that never takes off".
The Guardian calls the film "dreadful" and thinks that the team behind it "shouldn't have tried" at all.
"The Crow" will have its Swedish cinema premiere on August 30.
