The Crow: City of Angels

The Crow: City of Angels has built a real following in the US on Hoopla, and in the UK on Paramount Plus among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Vincent Perez anchors it with a performance that grounds the bigger ideas in something human. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Hoopla.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Crow: City of Angels earns its spot. What makes The Crow: City of Angels work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. A murder victim is brought back to life by a mysterious crow. With the help of a beautiful woman, he exacts revenge on his killers – only to realize his enemy has discovered the one weakness that can destroy him forever. Vincent Perez and Mia Kirshner lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1996. The rules of The Crow: City of Angels's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The Crow: City of Angels a chance. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Vincent Perez's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.