In 1994, supernatural comic book movie, The Crow opened in cinemas worldwide. The film, based on a comic by James O’Barr, told the story of a Detroit rock musician who is murdered on Devil’s Night, along with his fiancée, but returns from beyond the grave to avenge their deaths.

Starring Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, and Michael Wincott, The Crow was a gothic picture, which struck a chord with audiences. As such, not only was the movie a box-office success, it also led to a series of sequels.

But how many Crow movies are there? And are they worth your time?

For all the details and more, keep reading.

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The Crow movies

Image: ©Dimension Films

The Crow (1994)

As noted above, the first entry in the movie series was 1994’s The Crow. In the movie, when rock musician Eric Draven is murdered along with his girlfriend, Shelly Webster, Draven returns from beyond the grave to get revenge against his killers.

Here’s what It’s A Stampede! movie critic Alex Wiggan said about The Crow:

The Crow is one of those lightning in a bottle movies, which simply works from start to finish. None of its sequels which followed in the ‘90s and ‘00s could recreate the same level of quality and it remains a piece of pure brilliance.”

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Crow: City of Angels (1996)

Conceived as a loose sequel to The Crow, the second instalment, The Crow: City of Angels follows the story of mechanic Ashe Corven. In the film, Ashe and his eight-year-old son, Danny, are murdered by drug kingpin, Judah Earl, leading to Ashe returning from the dead to exact his revenge.

Here’s what It’s A Stampede! said about The Crow: City of Angels:

“While The Crow: City of Angels isn’t awful, it’s simply not that interesting. The film walks a path which is too similar to its predecessor, and ends up being a massive slog.”

Rating: 2 out of 5.

The Crow: Salvation (2000)

The next entry in The Crow movie series is the standalone sequel, The Crow: Salvation. In this film, Alex Corvis returns from the grave, after he dies in the electric chair and is framed for the murder of his girlfriend Lauren Randall.

Here’s what It’s A Stampede! said about The Crow: Salvation:

“So, the best of the sequels then? Yes, but the bar is fairly low, so make of it what you will.”

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)

Movie number four is another standalone sequel in the shape of The Crow: Wicked Prayer. In this instalment, Jimmy Cuervo takes on the mantle of the crow, and is resurrected after he and his girlfriend Lily are murdered by a Satanic biker gang.

Here’s what It’s A Stampede! said about The Crow: Wicked Prayer:

“…this is low-rent, bottom of the barrel stuff. It is a far cry from 1994’s The Crow and has all the emotional investment of a wet tea bag.”

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.

The Crow (2024)

Following the release of The Crow: Wicked Prayer, The Crow movie series went on hiatus while various attempts were made to reboot the franchise. Within this time, almost twenty years passed before production began on a new instalment.

This fifth entry – simply titled The Crow – was designed as a remake of the original film. The movie retells the story of Eric Draven, who is resurrected to avenge the death of himself and his fiancée.

Image: ©Dimension Films

The Crow movies in production order

To date, there are five Crow movies. Should you wish to watch the movies in production order, then please follow this list:

  • The Crow (1994)
  • The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
  • The Crow: Salvation (2000)
  • The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
  • The Crow (2024)

For those new to the franchise, the movies are divided into two categories: The original series and the remake.

The original series

  • The Crow (1994)
  • The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
  • The Crow: Salvation (2000)
  • The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)

The remake

  • The Crow (2024)
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Who are the cast of The Crow movie series, and are the movies the work of the same director?

Image: ©Dimension Films

Notable actors in The Crow movie series include Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, Bai Ling, Michael Massee, Tony Todd, Vincent Perez, Mia Kirshner, Richard Brooks, Thuy Trang, Iggy Pop, Thomas Jane, Ian Dury, Eric Mabius, Kirsten Dunst, Fred Ward, Walton Goggins, Edward Furlong, David Boreanaz, Tara Reid, Dennis Hopper, Danny Trejo, Bill Skarsgård, Danny Huston, and FKA Twigs.

In terms of the directors, The Crow movies are the work of the following:

  • Alex Proyas directed The Crow (1994)
  • Tim Pope directed The Crow: City of Angels
  • Bharat Nalluri directed The Crow: Salvation
  • Lance Mungia directed The Crow: Wicked Prayer
  • Rupert Sanders directed The Crow (2024)
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Which is the best Crow movie?

Image: ©Miramax Films

According to IMDb The Crow movies are rated as follows:

  • The Crow (1994) – 7.5/10
  • The Crow: City of Angels (1996) – 4.6/10
  • The Crow: Salvation (2000) – 4.9/10
  • The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) – 3.0/10
  • The Crow (2024) – Not yet rated

The ratings according to It’s A Stampede! are as follows:

  • The Crow (1994) – 5/5
  • The Crow: City of Angels (1996) – 2/5
  • The Crow: Salvation (2000) – 2.5/5
  • The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) – 1.5/5
  • The Crow (2024) – Not yet rated
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I hope this information about The Crow movie series has proved useful. Should you wish to know more about other long-running movie series on It’s A Stampede!, please check out one of the recommended reads below.

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