Sleepy Hollow
Skeptical young detective Ichabod Crane gets transferred to the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, New York, where he is tasked with investigating the decapitations of three people – murders the townsfolk attribute to a legendary specter, The Headless Horseman.
What critics thought
Burton's Gothic visuals and period atmosphere won over most critics, but whether the film amounts to more than elaborate window dressing was a genuine point of contention. Defenders saw it as a deliriously stylish horror entertainment; detractors felt the art direction was doing all the heavy lifting while the screenplay coasted on formula, and a few mourned how little the film cared about Washington Irving's actual story.
“Burton's richest, prettiest, weirdest [film] since Batman Returns. The simple story bends to his twists, freeing him for an exercise in high style.”
Richard Corliss·Time
“a choppily plotted crowd-pleaser that lacks the seductive, freakazoid alchemy of Burton's best work.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“All Sleepy Hollow has going for it is art direction, and even in that it falls back on cliché.”
Mick LaSalle·San Francisco Chronicle
“a ravishing visual experience, a pretty good vehicle for some talented American and English actors”
Jonathan Rosenbaum·Chicago Reader
Accolades
Parents guide
- Violence
- severe
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- none
- Substances
- mild
- Intensity
- moderate
Genres
Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery, Horror
Cast & Crew
Tim BurtonDirector
Johnny DeppIchabod Crane
Christina RicciKatrina Van Tassel
Miranda RichardsonLady Mary Van Tassel / Crone Witch
Michael GambonBaltus Van Tassel
Casper Van DienBrom Van Brunt
Jeffrey JonesReverend Steenwyck
Richard GriffithsBürgermeister Phillipse
Ian McDiarmidDr. Lancaster
Michael GoughNotary Hardenbrook
Christopher WalkenHessian Horseman
Marc PickeringYoung Masbath
Lisa MarieLady Crane
Danny ElfmanComposer
Washington IrvingWriter
Andrew Kevin WalkerWriter
Emmanuel LubezkiCinematographySleepy Hollow
Skeptical young detective Ichabod Crane gets transferred to the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, New York, where he is tasked with investigating the decapitations of three people – murders the townsfolk attribute to a legendary specter, The Headless Horseman.
What critics thought
Burton's Gothic visuals and period atmosphere won over most critics, but whether the film amounts to more than elaborate window dressing was a genuine point of contention. Defenders saw it as a deliriously stylish horror entertainment; detractors felt the art direction was doing all the heavy lifting while the screenplay coasted on formula, and a few mourned how little the film cared about Washington Irving's actual story.
“Burton's richest, prettiest, weirdest [film] since Batman Returns. The simple story bends to his twists, freeing him for an exercise in high style.”
Richard Corliss·Time
“a choppily plotted crowd-pleaser that lacks the seductive, freakazoid alchemy of Burton's best work.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“All Sleepy Hollow has going for it is art direction, and even in that it falls back on cliché.”
Mick LaSalle·San Francisco Chronicle
“a ravishing visual experience, a pretty good vehicle for some talented American and English actors”
Jonathan Rosenbaum·Chicago Reader
Accolades
Parents guide
- Violence
- severe
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- none
- Substances
- mild
- Intensity
- moderate
Genres
Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery, Horror
Cast & Crew
Tim BurtonDirectorJohnny DeppIchabod CraneChristina RicciKatrina Van TasselMiranda RichardsonLady Mary Van Tassel / Crone WitchMichael GambonBaltus Van TasselCasper Van DienBrom Van BruntJeffrey JonesReverend SteenwyckRichard GriffithsBürgermeister PhillipseIan McDiarmidDr. LancasterMichael GoughNotary HardenbrookChristopher WalkenHessian HorsemanMarc PickeringYoung MasbathLisa MarieLady CraneDanny ElfmanComposerWashington IrvingWriterAndrew Kevin WalkerWriterEmmanuel LubezkiCinematography