Dark revenge fantasy with drugs, violence, sexual assault.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a lot
The main villain snorts cocaine. A person shoots up morphine with a syringe. Another is pincushioned with hypodermic needles until he overdoses. People smoke pot and take unidentified pills for pleasure. Binge drinking and violent drinking games, with characters drinking beer, wine, whiskey, and champagne in bars and at home. People smoke cigars and cigarettes (but main character warns someone he should quit). A character asks another, "Are you high?"
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Extreme blood and gore, with characters shot, stabbed, slashed, thrown from windows, exploded, hit with cars, impaled on gargoyles, burned, beaten, and more. Eyes are gouged out. Individuals are burned in the tongue, shot/stabbed through their hands, and otherwise tortured and mutilated (sometimes willingly). A dead body is carried on a stretcher with lots of knives in the chest. Violent gang rape is seen in frequent flashbacks. A bloodied person on the brink of death is seen at a crime scene and then on life support in a hospital. A character is tied up in a car and pushed over a pier, where the vehicle explodes and the victim is described as "fused to his car." A child is neglected by her mother and forced to rely on neighbors for food and care. Mention of child molestation in an insult. Images are drawn in blood. Characters inject themselves with drugs, with needles seen going into arms. An eyeball is kept as a trophy from a past murder. Mention of choking to death on own blood. Dangerous driving; a person is hit by a car but survives. A child is kidnapped, gagged, and threatened on a roof.
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Breasts and buttocks shown, plus revealing and fetishistic outfits. Kissing. Characters have drug-fueled sex, though the sex is mostly seen in short flashes. Flashbacks show a couple in states of undress (implied nudity under sheets or obscured). The villain appears to have a sexual relationship with his stepsister, who's shown topless in the shower from the back.
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Characters drink Coors Light beer. Various car models and insignia are on display. The film is part of a popular graphic novel franchise, with T-shirts and other official merchandise available.
Positive Role Models
a little
Prior to his first death, Eric is portrayed as loving and kind. Even though he's a menacing character when he returns, undead Eric doesn't harm innocent people or the lone upstanding police officer who befriends him. In between torture and revenge killings, Eric protects a little girl, Sarah, and tries to reform her mother, who's addicted to drugs. Sgt. Albrecht is kind, empathetic, and good at his job. Though he doesn't always play by the rules, he follows threads that help him discover the truth and becomes a solid support for both Eric and Sarah.
Diverse Representations
a little
The main character is played by Brandon Lee, who's biracial White and Chinese. The story focuses on him exacting vengeance on a group of male criminals who are mostly White, though one is Black. A Black police officer is kind and empathetic, as well as good at his job. A single mother is portrayed as addicted to drugs; she spends time with men in bars and neglects her young daughter, Sarah, who's often out on the streets alone. Sarah is portrayed as savvy and street-smart as a result but still has the capacity for kindness. The only other female character is shown in flashback as the victim of a violent sexual crime that leads to the vengeance at the heart of the story. A man refers to other men as "ladies" as a putdown.
True love is powerful. If two people are meant to be together, nothing can keep them apart. On the other hand, it also suggests that it's OK to take matters into your own hands if the crime is bad enough and that violence deserves a violent response.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Crow is a dark crime thriller based on a graphic novel by James O'Barr. It stars Brandon Lee, who tragically died during the film's production, and has become a cult classic since its 1994 release. The story follows a man who comes back from the dead to avenge his death and the brutal sexual assault and murder of his fiancée. It's packed with frequent ferocious violence and grisly death, plus a recurring flashback to gang rape. Torture precedes a number of killings, with one character especially fond of gouging eyes. Many people are shot dead, with blood spatter and bloody wounds shown. Expect brief glimpses of bare breasts and strong hints of sexual fetishism. Frequent profanity includes "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "damn," and "whore." Characters take cocaine, heroin, and other drugs, as well as smoke cigarettes and drink lots of alcohol. Law and order is practically nonexistent, as criminals appear to run free, unchallenged. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Katherine R.Parent of 12, 14, 18+, 18+, 18+ and 5-year-old
July 8, 2024
age 18+
What's the Story?
In THE CROW, a nightmare version of Detroit on Devil's Night—the night before Halloween, when vandals traditionally set fires all over the city—sees a vicious gang attack rock musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiancée, Shelly (Sofia Shinas). Eric is thrown out of a window to his death, while Shelly is violently raped and left to die. One year later, Eric rises from the grave, a sort of flesh-and-blood ghost who's able to heal from almost any wound, with a guardian crow as his companion. This undead avenger begins hunting down and killing the criminal gang (still very much at large, thanks to the Motor City's clueless police) who were responsible for the lovers' tragic murders.
Imagine the gothic Batman crossed with rocker Alice Cooper crossed with a teen-idol vampire, and you pretty much get this film's lead avenger. The Crow is almost as much of a music video as it is a supernatural fantasy. But it still dazzled critics and viewers with its ultra-stylist visuals, which are heavily veneered by atmospheric computer graphics. The acting is also better than it has to be for a basic revenge-hit-list tale, though the storyline is fairly predictable as it goes from one spectacular death to another courtesy of Eric (the only real surprise is that the worse-than-useless city police aren't in cahoots with the main villain).
On its release in 1994, the movie was unfortunately thrust into the limelight for reasons other than its quality, due to the death of star Brandon Lee (son of action icon Bruce Lee), who was mortally wounded in an on-set gun stunt gone wrong. That didn't stop producers from hatching a clutch of Crow sequels, all pretty much reruns of this movie's premise, and the franchise still proves popular decades on, with Bill Skarsgård starring in the 2024 remake.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in The Crow. Were there parts that lingered with you even after the movie ended? If yes, why do you think that is? How does mixing sex with violence affect viewers? When is vengeance justified, if ever?
Talk about avenging superheroes or antiheroes. Are they more interesting when they're invulnerable and all-powerful, like Eric or Superman, or when they're more human, like Batman?
How are drugs portrayed in this movie? Are they glamorized, shown as the norm? Why is it important for filmmakers to portray things like drugs and alcohol responsibly?
The movie was adapted from a graphic novel and went on to spawn sequels, a TV series, a video game, and a remake. What do you think it is about the story that people find so interesting? Have you read, seen, or played any of the other Crow offerings? If so, how do they compare to this movie?
MPAA explanation:
a great amount of strong violence and language, and for drug use and some sexuality.
Last updated:
August 22, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Charles Cassady Jr.
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