Dark Shadows (Movie Review)

*Updated February 2026

Anyone would say that director Tim Burton decided to jump on the vampire bandwagon by adapting Dark Shadows. Taking the popular gothic soap opera from the 60s and making it into a movie is an ambitious move. The idea might even bleed into a couple of extra projects under the same theme.

Burton of course made this his own, using a vibrant darkness that defines his signature style. There’s no denying that he remains a master of his art. That mastery appears in the beautiful scenery, costumes, makeup, and special effects.

Thanks to Burton’s talent and strong acting, the semi-hollow storyline and silly romance don’t manage to ruin the movie. This Dark Shadows movie review finds a film that survives on style.

The Curse of the Collins Family

The film is set in Maine. It begins with the Collins family history from 1750 when they left Liverpool to settle in the New World. They aimed to make and spread their wealth.

All goes awry for this successful family when a witch, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), becomes infatuated with young Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp). Unfortunately, Barnabas falls in love with Josette DuPres (Bella Heathcote). Vengeful, the witch curses the family and anything they touch.

Her worst offense is turning Barnabas into a vampire and locking him away as punishment. He is freed from his imprisonment almost two decades later in 1972. He surfaces to find that although his family name still lives on, it has fallen into ruins.

He joins his remaining descendants: Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer), Roger (Jonny Lee Miller), Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz) and David (Gully McGrath). They have hired a live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter). Together Barnabas hopes to restore his family name to its former glory.

A Quirkier Addams Family

The first thought after seeing a picture of this whole cast together in costume was, “here’s a quirkier version of the Addams Family.” They are not far from it. The film encompasses the TV series it is based on well as it took its formulaic elements.

It includes the paranormal, vampires, witches, ghosts, werewolves, and even time travel. It’s clever to put a wealthy proper man turned vampire from the 1700s to explore a life during the 1970s. That era remains one of the most peculiar times in history.

There are some chuckles along the way and plenty of references to stuff from the 70s. The script offers jokes full of double meaning, sexual tension, and an interesting cameo by Alice Cooper. However, some things threaten to harm the gothic coolness of this movie.

A childish love story and a storyline that doesn’t seem to follow a clear pattern drag it down. It ends with a culminating yet easy solution that feels somewhat anti-climactic. I will blame most of the corniness of the film on the fact that this is based on a soap opera.

Depp and Green: A Volatile Pair

Depp has satisfied many fans’ dreams by playing a vampire and he does it masterfully. This being his eighth collaboration with Burton, it’s easy to see how comfortable they are together. It echoes the chemistry seen in previous news about Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland.

Green was fantastic at being evil, sexy, and powerful all at once. Pfeiffer delivers a balance between the odd and the normal. Although her acting is strong at times, it merely feels like she’s delivering lines.

Bonham Carter, Burton’s partner and one of his favorites, plays a similar role to those in most of his movies. Some of the jokes are a little forced and the previews have given away too many of them.

Some also seem to want to satisfy the PG-13 audience. On the other hand, there are scenes that are taken too far. Although I know Burton is a master of the macabre, my least favorite is Depp slapping a woman more than once.

Style Over Substance?

It’s understandable that trying to bring a beloved gothic soap opera to the big screen is a challenge. If the project is developed to make a couple of extra chapters, this could help fill in some of the holes in the story. There are still some questions regarding the vampire’s “new” love interest.

The humor, although at times silly, helped the story move along. Perhaps I’m missing some things since I never saw the soap opera. I was able to overlook the flaws of the film by being distracted by what Burton does best.

He uses his darkness to create a mysterious, elegant, and attractive film. I also enjoyed seeing Depp as a vampire; he was charming and naively funny. This duo hasn’t managed to achieve the greatness they have before in their last couple of films.

While it may not have the serious romance of Twilight, it has its own charm. This is still a fun enough movie to watch with your older kids.