"Sleepy Hollow," Tim Burton's 1999 interpretation of Washington Irving’s classic story about Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, features Johnny Depp as Crane and Christopher Walken portraying the Hessian horseman. The narrative unfolds in 1799 and centers on Crane, a constable from New York City, who travels to the Dutch settlement of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of brutal murders where victims are beheaded. Regardless of your feelings about Burton's movies, it’s hard to dispute his skill with visuals and overall production; he certainly knows how to make a film look impressive. Depp delivers a very relatable portrayal of sleuth Ichabod, showing him as someone who is afraid of spiders and occasionally faints in amusing ways. Beyond Depp’s performance, there are several aspects of this movie that stood out to me. First, the spooky atmosphere of autumn is wonderful; it's clearly set sometime during a gloomy November. Second, I’ve always found the idea of the Headless Horseman uninteresting, but "Sleepy Hollow" depicts him—or it—in such a frightening and supernatural way that he becomes genuinely scary, not to mention skilled with weapons and seemingly unstoppable. You wouldn't want to encounter him in an alleyway or anywhere else! Miranda Richardson was nearly 41 during filming, but she’s stunning; enough said. Christina Ricci also looks great, as does Claire Skinner in a smaller part. Finally, "Sleepy Hollow" avoids the silly tone that some of Burton's films have; the story is presented with respect and generally serious intent, though not as intensely so as classic Hammer horror movies. In fact, "Sleepy Hollow" feels like a modern Hammer film more than anything else. It’s no surprise then that Burton included Christopher Lee in a brief appearance. If you appreciate Hammer films—and who doesn't?—you will likely enjoy “Sleepy Hollow.” The final thirty minutes or so are filled with action, so if your focus starts to drift, don't worry; it really picks up. The plot is structured as a whodunit and becomes somewhat complicated, requiring close attention (or perhaps a rewatch). Although you don’t *need* to follow every detail because “Sleepy Hollow” offers such a rich cinematic experience that you can still appreciate it even if the intricacies of the story are lost on you. There's not much more to say other than to reiterate that "Sleepy Hollow" is an excellent spooky movie for autumn, or any time of year. The film has a running time of 105 minutes and was filmed entirely in England with studio work completed in Yonkers, New York. GRADE: A-/A

Source on TMDB