Synopsis

On the eve of their Halloween wedding, musician Eric Draven and his fiancee, Shelly, are murdered by a gang of criminals. One year later, a mysterious crow brings Eric back from the dead. Guided by the bird and driven by grief, he tracks down those responsible, confronting the violence that destroyed his life while seeking justice for Shelly.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film adapts James O'Barr's comic-book series, which was shaped by the author's grief after the death of his fiancee.

• Brandon Lee died on March 31, 1993, during filming after an accident involving a prop firearm. Production halted for several weeks before resuming in May.

• Because Lee had completed most of his scenes, the filmmakers finished the movie through script changes, a stunt double, and visual effects. The completed film was dedicated to Lee and his fiancee, Eliza Hutton.

• Paramount Pictures originally held U.S. distribution rights but later withdrew from the project. Miramax and Dimension Films released the movie theatrically on May 13, 1994.

• The alternative-rock soundtrack became a major part of the film's identity. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and featured music from artists including The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, and Stone Temple Pilots.

• The film's dark visual style and music-driven presentation helped establish it as a 1990s cult favorite, while its production tragedy became inseparable from its legacy.