Movie · 2012 · Comedy, Fantasy · 1h 53m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.4/10 (652.3K ratings)
Every family has its demons.
Overview
Vampire Barnabas Collins is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate and family have fallen into ruin.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.4/10
IMDb: 6.2/10
Letterboxd: 2.82/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 35%
Metacritic: 55
TMDB: 6.1/10
Director
Tim Burton
Production
Village Roadshow Pictures, Infinitum Nihil, GK Films, The Zanuck Company, Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast
Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote, Gulliver McGrath, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Ray Shirley, Christopher Lee, Alice Cooper, Ivan Kaye, Susanna Cappellaro, Josephine Butler, William Hope, Shane Rimmer, Michael Shannon, Harry Taylor, Glen Mexted
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, overstuffed gothic comedy with strong visual style and a few inspired bits, but the story is thin and the tonal juggling is uneven. It’s worth it if you enjoy Tim Burton’s ornate production design, fish-out-of-water humor, and campy vampire melodrama more than tight plotting.
Best for
Tim Burton completists
viewers who like campy gothic comedy
fans of stylized production design and costume work
people in the mood for a messy but playful vampire movie
Skip if
you want a disciplined screenplay
you dislike self-conscious camp
you need consistent jokes and pacing
you’re allergic to Johnny Depp-era Burton mannerisms
Overview
Dark Shadows is the kind of movie that looks like it was designed in a fever dream and then assembled with the confidence of a much better script. The sets, makeup, and period details are the main attraction: Collinwood feels like a haunted toy box, and the movie keeps finding new ways to luxuriate in its own gothic textures.
Worth noting
The comedy is hit-or-miss, but when it lands it has a dry, deadpan absurdity that suits the premise of a 200-year-old vampire trying to navigate the 1970s. The cast is game, especially Eva Green, who brings real voltage to material that often feels more decorative than dramatic.
Bottom line
As a story, it’s a mess: too many characters, too many subplots, and not enough momentum to make the supernatural soap opera truly cohere. Still, if you’re open to a beautiful, lopsided, mildly deranged studio gothic, it has enough personality to justify the trip.
Top Letterboxd reviews
amaya (2★) · 4550 likes
ooh noo :(( im cursed i have to bang eva green :(( oh nooo :(( whatever shall i dooo
˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ (4★) · 2657 likes
a gothic masterpiece ahead of its time
•°▪︎James▪︎°• · 2452 likes
Chloe Grace Moretz suddenly turns into a werewolf during the last 30 minutes and not only is it completely brushed over, it also has no effect on the plot at all
clownhead (2.5★) · 1733 likes
this is a hot mess of a film but oh my GOD eva green could set my house on fire i wouldn't mind
Les_Vampires (1.5★) · 1542 likes
Tim Burton: "Okay so I really want to make a movie version of the show Dark Shadows."
Studio: "Cool so what's the plot?"
Tim Burton: "It's gonna be so expensive!"
Studio: "Okay, but again what's the plot?"
Tim Burton: "A werewolf is gonna fight a witch."
Studio: "Okay that's a scene, what's the plot?"
Tim Burton: "Helena is gonna blow Johnny Depp."
Studio: "...just take your class="h-100"50M and get out of my office."