2024’s The Crow has received an official rating, and it makes me feel better about the movie after all the backlash it has been getting. One of the most anticipated movies coming in 2024 is The Crow, a reimagining of the 1994 cult classic of the same name directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee. Based on the 1989 limited comic book series of the same name by James O’Barr, 2024’s The Crow is directed by Rupert Sanders and stars Bill Skarsgård as Eric/The Crow, though a different version from Lee’s and the one in O’Barr’s comic books.

Sanders’ The Crow takes the premise of the 1994 version with some changes to modernize it and give it a different tone, though still keeping the essence of the story. The Crow follows musician Eric and his fiancée, Shelly Webster (FKA Twigs), who are brutally murdered at their home. Some time later, Eric is resurrected to avenge his and Shelly’s death, seizing the invulnerability granted to him in his resurrection. The Crow’s first trailer received a lot of backlash, but its official rating makes me feel better about it despite all the criticism it has gotten.

The Crow’s R-Rating Is A Good Sign For Bill Skarsgård’s Movie

2024’s The Crow Has Already Faced Controversy

As a big fan of Bill Skarsgård and Proyas’ The Crow, the idea of a reimagining was exciting but also worrying, as Proyas’ version is too great to be replicated. The first photos and trailer of The Crow were a disappointment for me, but the movie’s official rating is restoring my hope in it. As its release date fast approaches, The Crow’s rating has been revealed, with the MPA granting it an R-rating, just like Proyas’ movie. An R-rating is for content for which viewers under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult guardian, as there’s “adult material” in it.

According to Film Ratings, the reason for The Crow’s R-rating this time is strong bloody violence, gore, substance use, and sexuality/nudity. Proyas’ The Crow got an R-rating for strong violence and language, substance use, and “some sexuality”, so the 2024 reimagining is amping up on those things and more. Proyas’ The Crow is a pretty obscure film, not just due to Shelly and Eric’s deaths but all the horrible things that happened all over the city, mostly thanks to Top Dollar and his men, and that’s a large part of what made the movie and Eric’s journey so interesting, engaging, and great.

Among my biggest concerns about the reimagining of The Crow was that it would tone things down, which often happens with reimaginings, remakes, and reboots. 2024’s The Crow getting an R-rating proves there’s no toning down and, quite the contrary, might be pushing some boundaries, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s to be seen if it all makes sense within the story and it’s not just violence and gore for the sake of it.

Will The Crow Be Able To Overcome Its Backlash?

The Crow Has Some Big Challenges Ahead

As mentioned above, Sanders’ The Crow has already faced a lot of backlash, for different reasons. When the project was announced, many fans were understandably against it as they felt it was insensitive and disrespectful to Brandon Lee’s performance and legacy. The backlash was reignited with the release of the first images and trailer for The Crow, showing how different Skarsgård’s Eric is from Lee’s, as well as how the reimagining seems to be favoring graphic action scenes over everything else.

The Crow is not just not appealing to fans of the 1994 movie, but it’s also being hard to sell to those who don’t even care about the original movie. Although Bill Skarsgård is great and has made a name for himself in the horror genre, he might not be enough of a draw for The Crow, even if his performance is the best part of the movie. The Crow’s R-rating should come as a relief to viewers who still have some faith in it, but it might not be enough to overcome all the backlash it’s already carrying.

Source: Film Ratings.