
Dark Shadows
2012, Fantasy/Comedy, 1h 52m
258 Reviews 250,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
The visuals are top notch but Tim Burton never finds a consistent rhythm, mixing campy jokes and gothic spookiness with less success than other Johnny Depp collaborations. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Barnabas Collins
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
Dr. Julia Hoffman
Angelique Bouchard
Willie Loomis
Roger Collins
News & Interviews for Dark Shadows
Critic Reviews for Dark Shadows
All Critics (258) | Top Critics (69) | Fresh (91) | Rotten (167)
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Sad to report, the [Tim] Burton opus is an unnecessarily complicated tale involving too many characters, not to mention an unresolved moral conundrum that has us happily rooting for an unapologetic mass serial killer.
February 25, 2019 | Full Review… -
The only reason to see Dark Shadows is to discover how dire and pointless-how flat-out dreadful-a movie can be even when it has Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Helena Bonham Carter attached to its flimsy pretext.
June 17, 2013 | Full Review… -
Certainly delivers the goods on several levels without quite rising to the heights to which it aspires.
May 16, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review… -
After watching the film, an odd, somewhat disjointed comedic drama about family and sacrifice set to Burton's own uniquely macabre cinematic beat, I'm not quite sure what to call this new take on the venerable property.
May 15, 2012 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review… -
This is not so much a coherent movie as it is a long, expensive joke in search of a purpose.
May 15, 2012 | Full Review… -
You may not care much for what happens to the characters, but there sure is a lot to ogle while they go about their nonsensical business.
May 11, 2012 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Dark Shadows
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May 19, 2020I'm sorry but I am incapable of buying 50-year-old Johnny Depp as the immortal, youthful, irresistable heir to his father's New World empire. Maybe in a better movie, I would have been too distracted to be bothered by it, but this is Tim Burton's 2012 reboot of Dark Shadows, so that was not the case.Gimly M Super Reviewer
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Feb 21, 2014Recently, we have had the pleasure of watching a venerable character resurrected after 200 years to face a strange new world, from a dormant fictional work into a vibrant, inventive, bold, witty and just plain ballsy adaptation. But enough about "Sleepy Hollow." What we're here to talk about today is Tim Burton's middling take on "Dark Shadows" that has a plot involving a rivalry between two fish canneries in Maine. I'm not kidding about that, nor about Alice Cooper being invited to the party at one point. "Dark Shadows" starts badly enough with a totally unnecessary pre-credits sequence. However, it gets instantly better as Victoria Winters(Bella Heathcote) is traveling to the moribund Collins estate where she has been hired to be the new governess to the tune of 'Nights in White Satin' playing in 1972.(The period detail is vintage without being tacky or nostalgic, along with a good use of songs.) While the movie could have easily worked if told from Victoria's point of view, that soon changes once Barnabas Collins(Johnny Depp) comes back from the dead. In the process of Barnabas' hogging all the attention, some potentially interesting characters(and the excellent actors playing them including Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller & Chloe Grace Moretz) are sidelined in favor of the most boring vampire ever who has a definite aversion to leaving the frame. That leaves it to Eva Green to carry the movie as far as she can, which while not far, is better than nothing.Walter M Super Reviewer
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Jul 07, 2013Good remake of a classic series. I didn't think Depp would pull this off, but he does a pretty good job here. The supporting cast does a great job here, especially Michelle Pfeiffer, who I don't normally like. Solid mix of horror, action, and comedy.Stephen S Super Reviewer
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Jun 10, 2013May work well for kids, I suppose. The execution is terrible; a handful of one-liners can't hold a film together. There are a few emotional scenes, but they are devoid of emotions!!familiar s Super Reviewer
Dark Shadows Quotes
Victoria Winters: | You're the doctor |
Victoria Winters: | You're the doctor. |
Dr. Julia Hoffman: | Yes. And you're the nanny and she's the bitch |
Dr. Julia Hoffman: | Yes. And you're the nanny and she's the bitch. |
Willie Loomis: | Don't worry Mr. B. I never liked the bitch anyway. |
Barnabas Collins: | Ahhh, music... Yes, I'm rather fond of the music of the day. "I'm a picker, I'm a grinner, I'm a lover and I'm a sinner. I play my music in the sun." |
Roger Collins: | That's what I've been saying, this family needs more balls! |
Roger Collins: | That's what I've been saying. This family needs more balls! |
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