Another Impressive Collaboration Between Tim Burton & Johnny Depp!

Rating: Null/10 (22 October 2015)

Marking the third collaboration between a filmmaker who's always been fascinated by dark, Gothic tales & an actor who has a penchant for playing eccentric characters, Sleepy Hollow is a terrific blend of horror & comedy that plays to the strength of both Tim Burton & Johnny Depp and is further improved by its stunning visual design, clever casting & eerie ambiance.
Set at the turn of the 19th century, Sleepy Hollow tells the story of a police constable who favours forensic techniques over traditional methods when it comes to solving a case and accepts the alternative to imprisonment which requires him to travel to the village of Sleepy Hollow in order to investigate a series of murders, believed to be carried out by the mythic Headless Horseman.
Directed by Tim Burton, Sleepy Hollow packs in one of those stories that this director likes to translate on the silver screen and he does a really good job here. Its aptly twisted story exhibits the look n feel of a dark & disturbing horror but in actuality is far more light-hearted than expected. The technical aspects are expertly executed for the most part, with its visual design being an impressive highlight.
Production design team does a stellar job with the set pieces and even the timeline this film is set in is nicely recreated on the film canvas. Cinematography is truly bewitching and the use of smokes, minimal lights & monochromatic colour tones provide a highly Gothic feel to the whole picture. Editing could've been better for there were a few segments it could have done without while Danny Elfman's score brings an energy of its own.
Coming to the acting department, Sleepy Hollow features a splendid cast in Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson & others with Depp impressing the most. Getting under the skin of his character from the get go, he is very much in command here and his magnetic screen presence further helps his role while Ricci & others provide good supporting performances in their given roles.
On an overall scale, Sleepy Hollow is an incessantly Gothic chiller that's brilliantly directed, finely written, gorgeously photographed, faithfully scored & nicely performed and presents both Burton & Depp in superb form. The scare factor is very much diminished by its quirky humour & comical effects but the ghostly atmosphere nonetheless plays an important role in sustaining its ominous vibe throughout its runtime. Delightfully recommended.