The acting is fine, if a bit silly at times, but this is actually a lighter mystery than conventional horror or gothic ghost story. Mostly it's about the set decoration which consists of the entire town of Sleepy Hollow, built from the ground up to meet Director Tim Burton's vision of what Sleepy Hollow should look like. An awkward romance and a somewhat convoluted third act prevent it from being flawless, but it's more than just your average horror entertainment.Įxcellent atmospheric thriller is both fun and funny while being fairly frightening in some spots. It has his distinguished tone and style with plenty of colorful kills by one of the great horror villains of all time, the headless horseman. He's done a few horror films, but Sleepy Hollow ranks up there with some of his best overall features. With that said, once we get caught up as an audience, Burton gives us a juicy climatic showdown with the infamous horseman, and it doesn't disappoint. But the real issue with some of the mystery is that the third act reveals come at a rapid pace and the story gets a little convoluted. Crane, in typical Burton fashion, is a bit of an eccentric and unpredictable twist to his detective style. A good portion of the film focuses on why exactly a headless horseman is taking out certain members of the Sleepy Hollow community, with Johnny Depp's Ichabod Crane at the center of the investigation. And he handles it well for the most part. Speaking of the mystery, It's nice to see Burton tackle a mystery, which I believe is the only time he's ever ventured into that genre. I love the way he and Burton used the town itself as a character which is a part of the mystery. Sleepy Hollow is a much more habited town, but the same eerie tone is set brilliantly by cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki.

To me, the creepiest film of 2016 has been The Witch, and that's large part due to the eerie 17th century setting on a secluded farm. Period pieces are ripe for great horror flicks. It's easily one of Tim Burton's most entertaining adventures to date. Sleepy Hollow manages to impressively balance out a brutally graphic premise with an interesting mystery and decidedly timely humor.

Sleepy hollow movies