Review of Sleepy Hollow (1999) by Jon C — 13 Nov 2014

While it's time of year is ambiguous, this is one of the greatest Halloween movies I've seen. It reeks of the Halloween atmosphere and mood, and not to mention the stylings of Tim Burton. It's really the ultimate Burton pic.

It's worth saying that the story is very flawed. There's a convoluted series of twists and turns that don't make much sense, and when the final revelation is revealed there's a profound sense of "who cares?" The goal was to make a real headless horseman, and find a reason for it.

Well, they found a reason, just not a very good one; it feels very forced. Having said that, the writing is fine even if the story is flawed, and the performances are universally excellent. Depp loses himself in the role and gives Ichabod Crane a certain complexity, and the ensemble of respectable British actors create a classy presence amidst the dozens of chopped heads.

The real draw of the film is its atmosphere, which is simply excellent. Dark, dreary, and yet somehow beautiful; it's a delight to look at. Even if the story didn't pull me through, the performances and style were still more than enough.