Edward Scissorhands · reception & legacy

1990 · Tim Burton

How Edward Scissorhands has been received, argued over, and remembered.

The arc

Not a flop-to-classic story — it was warmly received and a hit in 1990 — but it's since been promoted from 'charming fairy tale' to the consensus Burton masterpiece, the film every ranking of his career puts at or near the top.

What's debated

Film fans endlessly use it as Exhibit A in the 'when did Tim Burton lose it?' debate — the personal, handmade Burton people mourn every time a new remake of his drops — with a side dispute over whether it counts as a Christmas movie.

Its footprint

Depp's pale, scarred face and blade-fingers are one of the most instantly recognizable silhouettes in modern movies — a Halloween costume perennial, endlessly parodied and referenced — and Danny Elfman's choral 'Ice Dance' theme gets borrowed whenever anything wants to sound like snowfall and wonder.

Where it stands

A gateway film for generations of young goths and Burton devotees, and a durable Letterboxd favourite that regularly tops 'Burton ranked' lists.

★ Did you know? It was horror legend Vincent Price's final major film role — Burton, who idolized Price as a kid (and had made the tribute short 'Vincent'), wrote the Inventor part specifically for him.

Named by the director

Influences Tim Burton has publicly named — the director's own word, distinct from the inferred lines of influence.

Frankenstein (1931) — Burton has repeatedly framed Edward as his take on the sympathetic Frankenstein's-creature figure from the classic Universal monster movies he grew up loving.