Ranking every Johnny Depp and Tim Burton collaboration from worst to best
Cinema has plenty of dynamic duos from different but complementary crafts that come together frequently to create some distinct features for audiences. The most notable ones include director Martin Scorsese and film star Robert De Niro, director Christopher Nolan and composer Hans Zimmer, as well as director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp.
Burton and Depp have worked together on several projects since the mid-1990s. These films exemplify the director’s unique gothic style, elevated through the brilliantly performed characters Depp brings to life. In turn, these films tend to have the most popularity and praise within the goth subculture, experiencing the most attention during Halloween.
Burton’s films are where Depp explored his most iconic and beloved characters, excluding Disney’s Captain Jack Sparrow. The character designs are bold and distinct, communicating Burton’s dark yet creative vision of filmmaking. They experience stories that are blended between tragic, sweet and macabre, built from Burton’s pen and Depp’s skills as an actor.
Let’s celebrate all the weirdness and beauty of Burton and Depp’s films, ranked from bottom to top in terms of quality and iconic status.
Ranking every Johnny Depp and Tim Burton collaboration:
9. Dark Shadows (2011)
An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home. However, instead of a warm welcome, he finds out his dysfunctional descendants need his protection.
Dark Shadows didn’t receive the most praise for its overall story, which never located a purpose. However, Depp still manages to show his skills as an actor. He provides some comedic value in a generally stale script, even though his obvious age negotiates the ability to believe he is a young immortal vamp.
8. Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
Alice is appointed to save her beloved Mad Hatter from deadly grief by travelling back to the past. However, this task has huge consequences that threaten to cause harm.
Depp as The Mad Hatter is some perfect casting. He carries the character’s unorthodox nature in a way that still manages to connect to the audience. Depp also embodies the whacky but beautiful landscape of Wonderland in both personality and appearance.
7. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Burton brings Alice back to the magical world of her childhood adventure. There she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.
As mentioned, Depp performs one of Wonderland’s most iconic faces in addition to balancing out its bizarreness and magic. He also communicates an affectionate relationship with Alice, injecting some sweetness into the story.
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Family (2005)
Burton adapts another classic story and takes on the second film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s most famous book. A young boy called Charlie wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world’s most unusual candy maker.
Taking on the top hat and cane from dearly missed Gene Wilder is something Depp does with ease and his own style. His rendition of Wonka is as awkward as it is hilarious, with a bold understanding that Wonka lives by his own rules and isn’t concerned if they make sense to others.
5. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
In Burton’s film adaptation of a timeless ghost story, Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of three people, having to overcome his fear of blood and guts. The town is convinced that the only culprit is the legendary apparition, The Headless Horseman, a member of the undead.
Depp balances timidness against the gory carnage in this fantasy horror. The idea of a murder investigator detective who is frightened by blood is an ironic role, and Depp exemplifies this comedic factor effortlessly. He also demonstrates the character’s intelligence and commitment as the film progresses.
4. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Possibly one of Burton’s goriest films, a scorned and vengeful barber returns from wrongful imprisonment to 1840s London. Sweeney Todd has been driven mad by his thirst for revenge for the crimes committed against his beloved wife and utilises his barber skills to carry out a blood bath.
Depp steps out of his comfort zone in this film by playing a brutal murderer for Burton rather than a tragic hero. His performance as Todd blends horror with music, as he sings in between throat slashing. He’s terrifying but charming, establishing the complexity of the character that may have been overlooked had anyone else taken the role.
3. Corpse Bride (2005)
Victor is a loving, yet timid groom in an arranged marriage who practices his wedding vows in a secluded forest. However, he doesn’t realise he’s made them in front of the grave of a murdered bride, who then rises to the land of the living to claim her new lover.
Depp provides the voice for Victor alongside Helena Bonham Carter, another familiar face in Burton and Depp’s work, who voices Emily the Bride. He brings the initial shyness and awkwardness to the character perfectly before growing into a headstrong and passionate hero by the end.
2. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Burton’s bittersweet “Christmas” film tells the tragic yet beautiful story of an artificial man called Edward who appears as any other person, despite having scissors for his hands. His lonely and confined life is changed forever when a suburban lady meets him and introduces him to her world.
Edward is possibly one of Depp’s signature and most recognised roles. In addition to his amazing design, Depp plays the character with a tenderness that tugs on the heartstrings immediately. His performance echoes a faithful rendition of Frankenstein’s Monster, elevated using a harmony of perfect expression, body language and voice work.
1. Ed Wood (1994)
Burton’s biographical comedy-drama invited audiences to observe the life of ambitious but misled movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. We see how the director doesn’t let his lack of talent stand in the way of achieving his dreams of success.
Ed Wood was met with critical acclaim upon release, with particular praise for Depp’s performance in the leading role. The actor shared how the role reignited his love for acting as it allowed him to expand his craft. He plays Wood as a cheerful, upbeat, persevering guy that you root for no matter what.
