Sleepy Hollow Retroactive Review
Constable Crane Is On The Case!
Sometimes, horror doesn’t need to be scary.
Not everything that’s horror-related needs to be a deep look into the philosophical, the dreadful, the terrifying, or an examination of one’s inner darkness or the like. Sometimes you can have something with a horror-dressing on it that kicks ass, recognize the inherent absurdity of the premise, and still find it awesome in some way.
I’m talking about horror-themed works meant to evoke emotions beyond fear, such as excitement, exhilaration, and even comedy. This is why Horror Action films are popular and tend to be viewed favorably, no matter their quality. After all, no one goes into an action horror film expecting anything deeper than just watching a man with a shotgun blow up zombies while flipping Cthulu the bird.
Personally, the best era for this type of film was around 1996 – 2007, when movies still had that sort of cheesy ’90s edge, with characters wearing leather, antiheroes who didn’t really care as long as the monsters were killed, and copious amounts of guns. While it tapered off as we approached the 2010s, losing much of its edge and crassness, the early stuff still holds up surprisingly well to this day.
And one of my favorite ones is “Sleepy Hollow“, directed by Tim Burton with Danny Elfman doing the music, and starring a very young Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, with Christopher Walken as the Horseman/Hessian. There’s just something nostalgic about watching a film based on a folk tale about a man running down and chopping off the heads of random villagers, and the action scenes that follow.
While the film itself has NOTHING to do with the original Washington Irving story, aside from sharing some of the same names, it’s still a pretty fun time to revisit every once in a while. Especially when you’re in a horror mood but don’t really want to get scared. Although there is the question of whether it holds up today and whether a new audience who might not have even been born when the movie was originally released would enjoy it for what it is or think it’s just an old relic filmed for a different generation. Which is partly what this review will be about: showcasing an old horror action movie that people might want to revisit or might be interested in seeing for the first time.
So let’s sit back and discuss the film and what makes “Sleepy Hollow” a potentially fun time.
Cinematopgraphy
If you’ve seen a Tim Burton film, you’ll probably already guess at how this will look. After all, Tim Burton’s films tend to have a distinct “look” that makes them very distinctive.
You know what I’m talking about. Long, slow, panning scenes with few edited jumps, with views of distant dark forests, isolated houses atop hills, and sometimes misty, foggy areas that obscure long-distance viewing. Of course, you have to have the gothic aesthetics, desaturated colors, and there’s always some dark-haired character in the scene as well. Burton’s work is an easily identifiable branding choice, and it’s very evident in “Sleepy Hollow” as well.
There’s not really much else to say. Stylistically, it’s a pretty movie, especially for one made in 1999. It still holds up today, and even with a modest budget (which is still pretty modest even after inflation), its sets and scenes are well crafted.
But what about the action scenes? Tim Burton might be known for the way films look, but he’s rarely an action director, often choosing instead to use slow-moving long takes, punchy dialogue full of wordplay, and more. The action scenes are there, and they’re well done. On a personal level, despite the action sequences not being Burton’s best, they’re still serviceable. If you’ve seen his “Batman” movie, then you’ll pretty much get the same thing here. Long takes with little to no edited jumps, and quick, snappy action where the characters move fluidly but not like gymnasts. In fact, the only scene that really had multiple cuts was the chase atop the carriage near the end, but that had segments that went on so long that I wondered how the actors stayed atop it since it was all practical effects.
Overall, the set pieces are great, the mood and setting hit, and if you like moody, grungy looks, you’ll like this.
Cast and Crew
My favorite part of this is seeing the big A-list stars we know today in this at the near start of their long cinematic journey.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Before this came out, Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci were well known. Christina Ricci did amazing in “The Addams Family” and “Addams Family Values” and defined Wednesday Addams’ personality since (More on that in my “Wednesday Review” HERE). Johnny Depp, too, had been a fan favorite who had starred in several Burton films before this. In fact, Depp and Burton tend to go well together like PB and J, since they work together often even after this.
But there are also other actors here who show up that make me grin looking back on it, even though, in hindsight, they were pretty big names even 30 years ago. Christopher Walken plays “The Hessian,” who is the Headless Horseman in this, and while we don’t see his face 90% of the time (and in fact they use a stuntman for most of the Hessian fighting scenes), he is still an intimidating presence. In fact, look at the picture I’m using for this section right now. Look into his eyes, and tell me that’s not scary. Christopher Walken is a funny guy, but that face is the most frightening part of the film, and he only shows it at the start and near the end.
There’s also Miranda Richardson, Micheal Gambon, Christopher Lee, and a few others who also show up as either background characters or side bit characters that get decapitated along the way, and half the fun of them is watching the film and going “Hey, haven’t I seen them before in another film?” while trying to guess where else you’ve seen them.
As usual, I have to give a shout-out to the behind-the-scenes people who worked on this because without them, there really isn’t much other than attractive actors on the screen. Overall, they did an excellent job of helping make the movie look and feel the way it did. Which I did go into more depth in the previous section.
Horror Aspect – Is It Scary?
Kind of?
For the most part, the primary focus of the movie is not horror, but instead on the action elements. There are certainly a lot of horror tropes at play in the film: a headless monster/ghost summoned from hell, many deaths caused by it, a dark, gloomy atmosphere, and a gothic mystery about what exactly is happening.
But there’s no real focus on the scary parts of the story. The Hessian doesn’t stalk his victims. No shadows are lurking in the distance. There’s no real dread or suspense that slowly builds up. Instead, whenever the Hessian appears, it’s a mad scramble of action and scenery as people either try to get out of his way or get cut down, and then we’re back to the slower moments of the film that move the story along.
So while the monstrous antagonist IS certainly scary, the same can be said for pretty much any other antagonist in any other action flick. What makes this movie really interesting is how the horror conventions, scenery, and even tropes all play against one another to create a visceral, violent movie that’s evocative and leaves viewers on the edge of their seats.
And if that’s your type of film, then you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this film. For those who aren’t looking for scares but do want to be amped up, you’ll find plenty of popcorn-munching moments instead of stifled fear and pulse-inducing adrenaline rushes.
You’ll Like This If-
You like cheesy horror-action flicks or are into late-90s films.
As mentioned in the previous section, this film isn’t exactly terrifying. While there are a few scares that happen here and there, it’s predominantly an action film with Tim Burton-style direction. That doesn’t make it a bad thing either, as those things are pretty awesome even in 2025 (at the time of this review’s writing), and that’s mostly what makes the film fun.
Aside from a sagging middle of the film where it feels like it’s just trying to be an excuse to kill off some of its cast for no reason other than to narrow down the suspects in a flimsy murder-mystery plotline, the story is pretty quickly paced at the start and at the end. The opening sets up the town of Sleepy Hollow and the whole “is it supernatural or not?” first arc, before it segues into the bloody middle, all the way to the frenetic, fast-paced third act, and to the end of the film.
If you’re a fan of action with horror trappings, Tim Burton films, or a general gothic atmosphere that’s not really melancholic and slow-paced, then you’ll more than likely like this film. It’s violent, but not overly gruesome to watch aside from the Horseman decapitating almost every single one of his victims (there’s surprisingly very little blood that gets spilled despite the body count). There’s also that classic late ’90s period-piece costume design that feels right; something about how they look authentic without being cheap.
You’ll Not Like This If-
You either don’t like historical inaccuracies, are a fan of the original story as Washington Irving wrote it, or desaturated, almost grimy Tim Burton films.
This movie is pretty fun (or at least I think so, as I expand on that in my personal thoughts below), but as someone who also enjoys reading about history, I couldn’t get past the film’s many historical inaccuracies. I even wrote down in my personal notes every time something came up that I knew was an outright lie or fabrication from history, and I thought to include it in this review before I realized that it was less a review and more a rant on a film whose primary goal is to entertain, not educate.
So, I’ll refrain from that and move on.
Overall, there’s nothing really wrong with the film. It’s gothic, but if you’re looking for something horrifying, this isn’t actually all that scary, as I’m sure you’ve gathered by now. Any real terror or dread comes from the melancholic atmosphere and long panning shots of Sleepy Hollow and the surrounding forests and farmlands.
In general, the film isn’t offensive in any way. If you’re not a fan of Tim Burton, late 90s action-horror films, Johnny Depp, or don’t like desaturated yet strangely bright movies, then you won’t have fun with this one. If you’re still unsure, watch a few clips or the movie’s trailer and see for yourself, and don’t be afraid to move on if you’re not having fun.
Personal Thoughts
You can probably already guess what I thought of the film from the first section of this review. I’m a fan of these types of movies from the era they came out because it was the era I grew up in.
There’s just something about this type of film that hits different for me, tickles the nostalgia buttons, and gets me amped up. I can almost feel the Numetal in my head, imagine the early CGI and practical effects, and I’m so into the edginess and sharpness of the era that I want to frost the tips of my hair and dig out my baggy JNCO jeans to wear while wearing shades.
While the film itself isn’t like the other horror action flicks, such as “Blade“, “Underworld“, “The Crow” and the like, its still an entertaining movie when the action starts to ramp up, and Johnny Depp is allowed to be as vividly wild, weird and comically adept as we’ve seen him in the Captain Jack Sparrow role he dons later on. Plus, the setting is entirely Tim Burtonesque, and there’s something in the way he uses lights, shadows, and set pieces together that makes even his slower-paced films stand out from everything else at the time. When you’ve seen a Tim Burton film, you can recognize the director’s touch in his work afterwards.
“Sleepy Hollow” is one of those films that’s just fun for me to revisit time and again. While a lot of the historical inaccuracies irk me, and it’s nothing like Washington Irving’s original story (as I also love colonial-era folk-horror), I don’t come to this film to learn history or to recreate the novella it’s based on. Plus, Disney’s animated adaptation does a pretty good job of it all on its own, and if that’s what I want, I’ll watch that instead.
For what it’s worth, though, this is a binge-watch with friends or someone close to you, such as a partner or even family. Make some snacks, kick back during the autumn season, and enjoy. At least, that’s what I do every few years.
If You Like This, You’ll Also Like
Horror action flicks, simple as.
This movie isn’t exactly deep, so you’ll find plenty of horror-action movies to sink your teeth into, or at least horror-aesthetic thriller-type media. It’s a popular genre across film and video games, and there are even comics, manga, and books similar to Sleepy Hollow. Chances are, you’ve probably seen one at least once in your life if you’re a horror fan.
So while this list will include many stereotypical suggestions, I’ll try to pepper in a few that are more obscure. That way, you don’t get the usual suggestions that everyone else always mentions.
Films
- – Blade Series (1998 – 2004)
- – Underworld Series (2003 – 2016) NOTE: Really, just watch the first two.
- – Van Helsing (2004)
- – The Crow (1994) NOTE: Skip the reboot.
- – Army of Darkness (1992) NOTE: More of a Comedy, but has plenty of action
Animation
- – Blood+ (Anime: | 2005)
- – Dorohedoro (Anime | 2020)
- – Tokyo Ghoul (Anime | 2014)
- – Spawn (Adult Animation | 1997)
- – Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated (Kids Animation | 2010)
Don’t judge me for that last one. It can get surprisingly dark in the last half dozen episodes for a children’s cartoon based on the Scooby Doo Franchise.
Books and Comics
- – Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (Novella)
- – Hellboy Comic series by Mike Mignola (Comics)
- – The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Novels)
- – Monster Hunter International Series by Larry Correia (Novels)
Video Games
- – Parasite Eve (1997)
- – Resident Evil Series (1996 – 2025)
- – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
- – Hellboy: The Science of Evil (2008)
- – Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines (2004)
Final Thoughts
I don’t think much more can really be said about this film, at least without repeating things. It’s just a fun, action-packed film that many people who like action-packed films will enjoy, especially if they like horror elements with their action. It has dark atmospheres, the early career of many beloved actors and actresses that are A-listers today, and while certain aspects of the movie feel like a bit of a drag and don’t really add to the film (such as Ichabod Crane’s backstory), the film moves at a decent pace and keeps you guessing to who is in control of the Hessian.
For some, this is a perennial Halloween favorite that they watch every October. For some, it’s a watch every so often. For others, it might be a fun diversion to put on the TV during a Halloween party. Whatever you feel about the film, hope you enjoy it, and for those watching it for the first time, enjoy a movie that came out at the tail end of the 90s.
