(Photo by Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection. THE CROW.)

The Crow Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer

It’s entirely possible, approaching even quite-likely status, that you’ve seen The Crow, that 1994 goth superhero classic starring Brandon Lee, and none of the three sequels that followed up until 2005. With the original on its parade of anniversary celebrations and the 2024 remake now here, you may be looking into the rest of the series, seeing that the critics and audience receptions for anything post-original isn’t exactly sterling, and wondering if you should even bother. The answer: Probably not, unless you’re looking to become a true Crow-natic.

There’s no overarching plot, and there is only one shared character between the first two movies, with none of the original actors back. Instead, the franchise is driven by a baseline premise of a guy deep in a passionate, committed relationship who’s murdered and then subsequently resurrected as the avenging angel known as The Crow, back to inflict maximum righteous bird law before returning to the grave.

Lee is a star and revelation in the original ’94 Crow, and was tragically killed during an on-set accident involving a prop gun. Director Alex Proyas and his team make the most out of stark lightning, practical scale models and architecture, and those rooftops you’ll see later in Dark City and The Matrix to create a stylish fever dream film. The sequels feature performers in various going-ups and coming-downs of their careers, including Kirsten Dunst, Tara Reid, and Edward Furlong. Naturally, Danny Trejo is in one of them.

And nearly 20 years after the last sequel, and 30 to the original, a re-imagining. Bill Skarsgard and FKA twigs take on Eric Draven + Shelly Webster mantle, with more emphasis on backstory and dialogue, but at great cost according to the critics. Either way, we’re ranking all the Crow movies by Tomatometer.

#1

The Crow (1994)
Tomatometer icon 87%

#1
Adjusted Score: 92239%
Critics Consensus: Filled with style and dark, lurid energy, The Crow is an action-packed visual feast that also has a soul in the performance of the late Brandon Lee.
Synopsis: The night before his wedding, musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiancée are brutally murdered by members of a... [More]

#2

The Crow (2024)
Tomatometer icon 23%

#2
Adjusted Score: 31430%
Critics Consensus: Dreary and poorly paced, this reimagining of The Crow doesn't have enough personality or pulse to merit the resurrection.
Synopsis: Bill Skarsgård takes on the iconic role of THE CROW in this modern reimagining of the original graphic novel by... [More]

#3

The Crow: Salvation (2000)
Tomatometer icon 18%

#3
Adjusted Score: 9108%
Critics Consensus: The Crow: Salvation adds nothing new to the series and is plagued by bad acting and dialogue.
Synopsis: Alex Corvis (Eric Mabius) is falsely convicted of brutally stabbing his girlfriend Lauren to death. He maintains his innocence and... [More]

#4
#4
Adjusted Score: 15959%
Critics Consensus: The Crow: City of Angels is a sloppy pretender that captures neither the mood nor energy of the original.
Synopsis: After mechanic Ashe (Vincent Perez) and his son (Eric Acosta) witness a murder, they are captured and killed by drug... [More]

#5
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Ex-con Jimmy Cuervo (Edward Furlong) and his girlfriend (Emmanuelle Chriqui) are targeted by satanists, who murder them as part of... [More]