In a sentenceJohnny Depp keeps fainting, which seems a reasonable response to all that blood
Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) faces a mystery involving killings and the Headless Horseman. Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci) and Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon) are among the figures in an enquiry where detective work has to contend with the supernatural. Ichabod Crane wants an explanation, but the horrors repeatedly test his nerve, sometimes to the point of fainting. Finding out who is responsible means confronting a threat that does not fit comfortably into an ordinary criminal investigation, with the investigator’s own fear becoming another obstacle to making sense of the violence.
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Tim Burton’s gothic mystery is worth an evening for its mist, macabre humour and Johnny Depp’s nervous hero. The detective work grows fussy, but the blood-red shocks keep their force.
Sleepy Hollow is a good, bloody gothic entertainment with a detective story that becomes more complicated than it needs to be. Tim Burton seems most interested in how fear unsettles people who would prefer to remain respectable, and the film is liveliest when horror catches them off guard. The mist and shadows promise a ghost story; the blood soon makes clear how physical the danger is. There is plenty to enjoy before anyone starts explaining the mechanics.
Rick Heinrichs’s production design makes the place feel inhospitable before the Horseman needs to do anything. Emmanuel Lubezki’s photography lets shadow and mist obscure its details, then gives the blood a red that is hard to ignore. That contrast works because the darkness remains oppressive even when nothing is happening in it. The elaborate surroundings hold our attention when the enquiry is taking its time, and the artificiality suits a story in which the supernatural has such a substantial presence.
Johnny Depp gives Ichabod Crane enough nervous vanity to make the comedy part of the investigation. We laughed at his fainting because the collapse is such a complete surrender of the dignity he is trying to maintain. The trouble is that the joke keeps returning after its point is clear, and another loss of consciousness cannot always improve a scene. His unease remains engaging even when the script leans too heavily on it.
Christina Ricci gives Katrina Van Tassel a composure that stops the film becoming one long nervous fit. Michael Gambon brings useful gravity to Baltus Van Tassel, while the surrounding performances allow themselves enough exaggeration to suit the horror. This is acting for a ghost story, where a face can make an impression before a character has explained much. Some of the people remain thinly drawn, but they are rarely dull to look at.
Colleen Atwood’s costumes help sustain that heightened acting style: the characters look dressed to preserve their dignity, which makes panic more amusing. Danny Elfman’s score pushes the eeriness hard, sometimes beyond what the already threatening images need. The music is effective at keeping the film in a state of agitation, though a little less insistence would have left more room for unease. Both contributions suit the theatrical horror that Tim Burton is making.
Andrew Kevin Walker’s screenplay is less assured when the enquiry needs to make sense of everything the horror has set loose. Explanations accumulate, and following them becomes a chore just when the film should be tightening its grip. Chris Lebenzon and Joel Negron keep the individual shocks brisk, but the succession of killings grows repetitive, and cutting cannot solve that larger problem. The detective work asks for a concentration the film has not quite earned.
Do take the gore seriously when choosing company for this one. Its comic manners and elaborate appearance do not make the killings gentle, and anyone hoping for a largely bloodless ghost story should choose something else. For those who enjoy horror with theatrical excess, it is worth tolerating the occasionally tiresome explanation. Leave it for an evening when a fainting detective sounds like acceptable company.
Most critics find Sleepy Hollow an entertaining gothic horror film, with praise clustering around Tim Burton’s eerie atmosphere and visual craftsmanship. Mist, shadow and flashes of blood red receive more consistent attention than the mystery itself. The reviews admire the production design and effects, while Johnny Depp’s Ichabod Crane draws praise as an appealing lead. Several critics also welcome the dark comedy and grotesque performances, finding pleasure in Burton’s imaginative approach to horror.
Enthusiasm varies, but the balance is favourable, with mixed assessments rather than outright dismissals. Reservations centre on repetitive killings, an increasingly complicated plot and a climax that strains for effect. The Guardian finds that the detective story does not quite fit the supernatural and fairy-tale elements; Total Film sees the early eeriness giving way to pantomime. Gore is another qualification: the Los Angeles Times suggests that enjoyment depends partly on tolerance for it.
The review finds Sleepy Hollow a richly imagined, beautiful slice of fear, despite some wearisome fainting and an overly melodramatic climax. It especially praises Burton’s shadowy, mist-filled visual world and the film’s striking use of blood red.
Read the full review →Jones calls the film a beautifully crafted gothic whodunnit. He praises its cast, especially Johnny Depp, and Burton’s use of classic Hammer horror style.
Read the full review →Ebert finds the film an entertaining, visually rich take on the legend. He especially praises Burton’s eerie atmosphere and striking visual design.
Read the full review →Turan finds the film an exquisitely mounted, creepy and darkly comic showcase for Tim Burton, though its appeal depends on viewers’ tolerance for gore. He especially praises its ravishing autumnal atmosphere and visual design.
Read the full review →Maslin regards the film as an entertaining, macabre spectacle. She singles out its striking visual design for praise.
Read the full review →McCarthy finds the film stylish and entertaining, though its repetitive killings and narrow focus limit its resonance. He especially praises the visual craftsmanship, including the production design, cinematography, costumes, and effects.
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