A Plot Synposis of the Movie ‘The Crow’

Written by Michael Lee

*All Media used in this article is courtesy of Lionsgate

Official Trailer: ‘The Crow’ (2024)

Video via Lionsgate

Plot Synopsis

The film begins with Eric and the brunt of his troubled childhood, with Eric having endured the devastating loss of his beloved horse and a very strained and abusive relationship with his alcoholic mother.

Film Clip: ‘The Crow’ - “Get In The Back” | Video via Lionsgate

Wethen meet two girls; Zadie and Shelley. Zadie has filmed a video of Shelley murdering someone and then afterwards seemingly caught embracing a mysterious man, who seems to be in charge of her movements as well as her will.

Film Clip: ‘The Crow’ - “Opera House” | Video via Lionsgate

Zadie attempts to skip town to avoid the repercussions of their taped footage but she gets taken away by an unknown entity. Shelley realizes the danger she’s in and escapes her apartment, deciding to turn herself into the police for illegal drugs in order to escape the pursuing crime lord, who’s name is revealed to be Vincent Roeg.

Photo Credit: Larry Horricks via Lionsgate © 2022 Yellow Flower LLC.

Vincent Roeg is processed by demonic powers, and his abilities allow him to manipulate the actions of any victim by whispering Satanic rituals into their ears which allows him to take control. It is revealed that Roeg has killed Shelley’s mother, Sophia, by convincing her to commit suicide when Shelley was only a child. The footage captured by Zadie is more than enough proof to detail Roeg's demonic powers and releasing it to the world could lead to his defeat, so he is in pursuit of Shelley over the possession of the video.

Presently, Eric resides in an institution for troubled youth, where he forms a profound bond with Shelly. The mutual passion for music served as a catalyst for their instant connection, which cause the two to fall very quickly in love. Eric then proves his love for Shelley when the person responsible for murdering Zadie visits the institution to murder Shelley. They attempt to kill her, but Eric intervenes. Later, a woman named Marian, Roeg’s right-hand arrives to also dispose of Shelley, but Eric and Shelley flee.

Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs in THE CROW ● Photo Credit: Larry Horricks via Lionsgate © 2024 Yellow Flower LLC

Their time together is short however, as Roeg’s men locate both Eric and Shelley. The henchmen murder them both, though Eric awakens, seemingly in the afterlife, in a warehouse full of crows. Here, Eric meets Kronos, a spirit who tells him about a mission; to correct the wrongs that have been done to him. Shelley, it seems, has had her soul taken to an eternal Hell.

Kronos informs Eric that he will have to eliminate Roeg in the living world. Kronos tells Eric that Roeg has abused his powers in the land of the living and his time is up to return to the Underworld. To do this, Kronos bestows upon Eric the power of a God, and he is invulnerable to harm and has the ability to quickly regenerate from any wounds. Kronos tells him that he will have this power as long as his love for Shelley is pure and that he cannot be reunited with Shelley unless Roeg is returned.

Bill Skarsgård in THE CROW ● Photo Credit: Larry Horricks via Lionsgate © 2024 Yellow Flower LLC

In a maze of labyrinthine passages within a warehouse, Eric, revived and aided by a loyal crow, sets out on a vengeful mission to eliminate Roeg's men one by one. However, Eric discovers the video where Roeg has possessed Shelly's mind, compelling her to commit a heinous act. Filled with doubt and anguish over her betrayal, Eric's love for Shelly is put to the test, and he is then told by Kronos that he cannot be with her again.

Undeterred by his fate, Eric's love for Shelly surpasses his will to live. He makes a selfless plea to Kronos, offering to take Shelly's place in the underworld in exchange for completing his mission. Kronos agrees. Eric then proceeds to the opera, where he confronts and kills Roeg's men and then finally Vincent Roeg himself, ultimately rescuing Shelly from the clutches of the dark Hell she’s been trapped in. The two reunite, albeit briefly, before Shelley awakens back into the real world, where Eric’s body is lifeless beside her as the screen fades to black.

Quotes from the Talent & Director

Bill Skarsgård

Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb - © 2020 Getty Images

“I was a huge fan of the original film growing up as a kid and was so honored to take on the role of Eric. But really what drew me to it was what Rupert Sanders wanted to do with it. He wanted to completely reimagine the story and the character and tailor it towards a modern audience. It’s a character that I know many revere and have a strong connection to - he is unlike any I’ve ever taken on before. Working with the remarkably talented FKA twigs was magical. I felt a responsibility to Eric’s story and endeavored to stay true to the spirit of the source material; I can’t wait for the world to see the film, and hope it resonates with audiences as strongly as it did with those of us involved.”

- Bill Skarsgård

FKA Twigs

Photo Credit: © 2015 - Getty Images Entertainment

“I am so thrilled to be in THE CROW alongside the talented Bill Skarsgård and extraordinary director Rupert Sanders. The love Bill and I share on screen is effortless and indicative of the authenticity and ease that I dreamed of bringing to the role of Shelly. Eric and Shelly’s unbreakable unity is so profound and beautiful, something I hope we all feel at least once as part of the human experience. I am so excited that the trailer is being unveiled and even more excited to have the world see the film this summer.”

- FKA twigs

Director Rupert Sanders

Photo by Steve Granitz - © 2012 Steve Granitz/Getty Images

“THE CROW is the original anti-superhero. His story is about tragic loss, about dealing with the pain of everything that comes with losing someone you love, something that all of us have or will encounter at some point in our lives. It is about the dark shadow of grief, about what we would do when something so meaningful is taken from us.

The original graphic novel is deeply meaningful for so many, and the character, his journey and his need for revenge has inspired a canon of films for the last three decades. Our version goes back to that graphic novel by James O’Barr, who I had the honour of meeting shortly before production, and explores the love story as the primary drive for our film.

What Alex Proyas did with the Crow in 1994 - and Brandon Lee's iconic embodiment of that character - will forever impact that generation and others to follow. It was a culture-defining film that is beloved to this day and has inspired many other iterations both inside and outside the Crow Universe.

That film sparked a fire with the youth of that day, a youth who grew up on hard, alternative rock, punk and metal, that binged on MTV and zines. It held a mirror to that generation in the aesthetic of the film, its smoky, rain-drenched streets, stylized and subverted sets, its leather clad hero and chain wielding villains. It expressed its name in a very specific, music-driven vision, that spoke to a young audience who had never been spoken to in that way. It became a cult classic.

Our interpretation of James’ work also reflects this young generation, whose tastes and references have changed so dramatically from the original film. Hopefully it speaks to them in their language, with their style and music and hopefully will get them to discover Alex Proyas' film and James O’Barr’s graphic novel, bringing a new audience to the source material.

For this story is as universal as an epic poem or Greek myth, it deals with the very primal, naturalistic emotions of love, grief and rage and it also deals with the supernatural and physiological imaginings of heaven and hell, the dead and the undead. It explores the great positive force of love and the great negative force of rage and hate that stands in its shadow, it asks what would we do, but also what would we have become by doing so. When Eric slumps to the floor, covered in the blood of the slain, we look deep into his eyes and he asks us...why?

I am very pleased to have worked with two young actors whose performances are the backbone of this film. Bill Skarsgård is so committed and vulnerable, monstrously violent and delicately tender, he brings so many layers to the complex emotion of a man consumed with so much love and hate, but also a man who will do anything for the woman he loves. He fights, numb with pain and grief, killing and maiming for the one he loves…but to what end? FKA twigs brings the same unique and wondrous talent that she does to her entire volume of work and her performance and the vacuum created by her absence undoubtedly gives reason for this Crow to be born.”

- Director Rupert Sanders