--- title: "Dark Shadows: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/dark-shadows/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/dark-shadows" critics_score: 46 critics_reviews: 26 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Dark Shadows (2012): what the critics said Critics' score 46 from 26 reviews: 0 positive, 13 mixed, 13 negative. No critic calls Dark Shadows a success, and the reviews split evenly between tolerant and hostile. Where there is agreement, it is on the people rather than the picture. Most critics find Johnny Depp funny as Barnabas, a vampire baffled by 1972, and several name Eva Green’s Angelique as the liveliest thing on screen. The production and costume design draw praise even from reviewers who dislike everything else, and /Film singles out Colleen Atwood’s costumes. The reservations cluster on tone and script. Critic after critic says the film cannot decide whether it is a gothic romance or a camp comedy, and that the screenplay leaves the supporting cast stranded. The spread is wide: Empire and the Los Angeles Times find it a diverting enough evening, while NME and The Wrap call it dull and hollow. Time Out goes further and reads it as proof that Burton has little range. ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2012. Freer finds the film entertaining but tonally uneven, and says it falls short of Burton at his best. He praises Depp’s charismatic, funny portrayal of Barnabas as a man out of time. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dark-shadows-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Andy Klein Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2012. Klein finds the film a diverting, comedy-heavy take on the material, though it brings little new to vampire stories. He praises its cleverness, particularly the humor drawn from Barnabas’s confusion about modern life and 1970s culture. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/entertainment/tn-gnp-0513-film-review-tim-burtons-dark-shadows-more-comedic-than-dark-story.html) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 May 2012. The accessible page does not disclose the critic’s verdict. It likewise reveals no specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/dark-shadows/5041427.article) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2012. The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. The URL identifies a review of Tim Burton’s 2012 film, but the review’s specific praise or complaint is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/movies/johnny-depp-stars-in-tim-burtons-dark-shadows.html) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 2/3/3. 10 May 2012. The critic finds the film flawed but believes it has worthwhile pleasures. He singles out Johnny Depp’s comic performance and delivery for praise. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/dark-shadows) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 3/5. Jones presents the film as a mannered gothic romantic farce whose actors embrace its eccentricity. He praises Burton’s visual style but finds the attempt to balance comedy and melodrama wanting. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l0im9r/dark-shadows/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 May 2012. McCarthy finds the film entertaining but uneven, saying it stops short of fully exploiting its darkly comic premise. He praises Depp’s controlled, humorous performance while faulting the humor for settling too often for easy jokes. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dark-shadows-film-review-321675/) ## Total Film — Matt Glasby Rating 3/5. 9 May 2012. Glasby finds the film an enjoyable but uneven blend of genres that does not quite settle on what it is. He praises its gorgeous look, the performances—particularly Depp and Green—and its climactic monster-filled spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/dark-shadows-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Christy Lemire Rating 2/4. 9 May 2012. Lemire finds the film visually elaborate but largely inert. She singles out its lack of comic energy as a key weakness. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dark-shadows-2012) ## Slant Magazine — Bill Weber Rating 2/4. 10 May 2012. Weber finds the adaptation overstuffed and ultimately a bloated misfire. He praises Johnny Depp’s comic performance, while faulting the film’s musty romance and relentless nostalgia. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/dark-shadows/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2012. Bradshaw finds the film reasonably entertaining but ultimately predictable, offering no surprises. He praises Helena Bonham Carter’s distinctive, comic performance as Dr Julia Hoffman. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/may/10/dark-shadows-review) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 2/5. 9 May 2012. Huddleston finds the film largely tedious and sees it as evidence that Burton has little range. The review’s description singles out its creepy, kooky, spooky atmosphere, though not as enough to overcome that verdict. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dark-shadows) ## IndieWire — Todd Gilchrist Rating D. 8 May 2012. The critic calls the film an awful, incoherent disappointment and faults it for lacking a compelling story. He praises its production and costume design, while criticizing its disorganization and underdeveloped characters. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-dark-shadows-is-another-lazy-incoherent-disappointment-from-tim-burton-110753/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film an incoherent, overlong joke with shoddy construction. Eva Green’s lively performance and some haunting effects are singled out as bright spots, though they cannot redeem it. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/dark-shadows-2) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 May 2012. Chang finds the film’s retro-camp approach neither funny nor eerie enough, leaving it an awkward, largely bloodless exercise. He praises Johnny Depp’s committed deadpan performance as the film’s most reliable element. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/dark-shadows-1117947517/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2018. Edelstein finds the film a weary, meandering camp travesty, criticizing its witless screenplay and the stale Burton-Depp partnership. He singles out Eva Green as the movie’s best element and praises its garish, Gothic look as a gorgeous eyesore. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2012/05/movie-review-dark-shadows-is-a-camp-travesty.html) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 3/5. 10 May 2012. Papamichael finds the film enjoyable but uneven, and says it is not among Burton and Depp’s best work. She praises Depp’s lively performance, while criticizing the romantic triangle and underdeveloped subplots. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a380936/dark-shadows-review-johnny-depp-turns-vampire-for-tim-burton/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C-. 10 May 2012. Goldberg finds the film dull and incoherent, arguing that its gothic style and camp comedy never come together. He singles out Eva Green’s performance as Angelique as the film’s one effective element. [Read the review](https://collider.com/dark-shadows-review/) ## Paste — Tyler Chase Rating 4.2. 13 May 2012. Chase finds the film a disappointing, overstuffed misfire that falls short of Burton and Depp’s best work. He singles out the weak writing, which leaves the characters and their storylines without depth or payoff. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/dark-shadows) ## Den of Geek — Michael Leader Rating 2 out of 5. 21 April 2016. Leader gives the film a harsh verdict, calling it one of Burton’s worst. He singles out the stale jokes and muddled screenplay, while noting the cast’s strong performances and slick cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/dark-shadows-review/) ## Eye for Film — Lee Griffiths Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2012. Griffiths finds the film entertaining but ultimately disappointing, lacking the momentum and emotional impact of Burton’s best work. He praises its striking visuals and Eva Green’s scene-stealing performance. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/dark-shadows-film-review-by-lee-griffiths) ## /Film — Russ Fischer Rating 4/10. 10 May 2012. Fischer finds the film visually opulent but emotionally arid, with an unfocused story and too many underused characters. He singles out Eva Green’s vivid performance and Colleen Atwood’s costumes as assets. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/521100/dark-shadows-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Jon Lyus Rating 2/5. 9 May 2012. Lyus finds the film a beautiful missed opportunity, entertaining in moments but ultimately a mess without heart or narrative coherence. He praises Depp’s comic delivery and the enchanting production design, while faulting the treatment of the supporting cast. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/dark-shadows-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 8 May 2012. The review is strongly negative, describing the film as lazy and incoherent. It singles out the film’s incoherence as a key failing. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-dark-shadows-is-another-lazy-incoherent-disappointment-from-tim-burton-20120508/) ## NME — Owen Nicholls Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 12 May 2012. The critic finds the film hollow, dull and without a compelling narrative. Eva Green’s performance is singled out as its one shining light. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/dark-shadows-film-review-770676) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2012. The critic considers the film an expensive, leaden misfire that is neither funny nor frightening. They praise its lavish period art direction and note that Johnny Depp supplies some of the few laughs. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/dark-shadows-review-tim-burtons-tv-retread-lurks-unfunny-doldrums-39211/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/dark-shadows.md