5 Cult-Classic Johnny Depp Movies Made by Tim Burton
Johnny Depp has starred in dozens of great movies — but his most iconic projects were often directed by Tim Burton. Here’s our Top 5 of their collaborations.
5. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
When an extravagant old scientist feels all too lonely, he decides to create a friend for himself — an artificial young man named Edward. Unfortunately, the scientist dies before fully completing his creations, and Edward is left alone, with blades for hands and a spooky face. But then, a friendly urban family decides to take care of him.
Johnny Depp ’s first-ever collaboration with Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands introduced the actor to the world of the director’s Gothic cinema which both he and the audience fell in love with. After this movie, they would work together numerous times more, and Depp would become Burton’s go-to actor of choice.
4. Ed Wood (1994)
Art without a certain degree of insanity is boring and unprofessional, but what is art without talent? Ed Wood (largely known as “the worst director in Hollywood history”), a passionate and ambitious man with no knack for movie-making, gets together with a bunch of other weirdos to accomplish his dream of creating the best film ever.
Though often overlooked by fans, critics and connoisseurs consider Ed Wood the best movie made in Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s creative collaboration. Instead of laughing at the worst director ever, the two built his story as a love letter to art itself, as passionate and weird as Ed Wood himself was, whatever his reputation may be.
3. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Young New York constable Ichabod Crane is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate the mysterious decapitations that take place there. Critical of the idea at first, the constable soon realizes the locals are correct to the legendary apparition known as The Headless Horseman for the murders. But how can he fight a specter?
The old tale of The Headless Horseman saw another life with Tim Burton’s unique twist that saw Johnny Depp take on the role of Ichabod Crane himself. Despite being released almost a quarter of a century ago, Sleepy Hollow still looks amazing, and the haunting sceneries of this Gothic tale don’t let go of our hearts and minds.
2. Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005)
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To set foot into Willy Wonka ’s wonderful Chocolate Factory is the dream of every kid, and its charitable owner starts a lottery to select five winners who will win an exclusive tour. Charlie, among the rest, finds a Golden Ticket and travels to the Factory, but he quickly realizes that neither this place nor its owner are what they seem at first.
When Tim Burton decided to make his own spin on the classic 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, everyone expected brilliance — even more so, when he cast Johnny Depp as Wonka himself. Admittedly, the movie didn’t come off as great as it could have, but Willy Wonka is still among Depp’s most memorable roles ever.
1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007)
A young barber Benjamin Barker leads a happy life with his beautiful wife and daughter until a corrupt judge wrongfully imprisons him to have his way with Barker’s beloved. Years later, the barber escapes and returns to London as Sweeney Todd, and his revenge against the judge and the entire world will be brutal and bloody.
Perhaps Johnny Depp’s most popular movie directed by Tim Burton, the tale of Sweeney Todd is a ruthless and utterly Gothic blood feast. Complimented by his amazing co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman, Depp makes one of the most compelling and bone-chilling performances of his acting career in this film.