Johnny Depp’s Quintessential 105-Minute Dark Fantasy Finds New Streaming Home

One of the most memorable movies starring Johnny Depp is coming to a new streaming home — and with spooky season approaching, there’s no better time to see it. Long before bringing Jack Sparrow to life, Depp played an unsung hero in this highly rewatchable dark fantasy tale that has become a timeless classic. Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait long for another chance to revisit it, as it arrives on streaming on October 1.

‘Edward Scissorhands’ Is a Fantasy Masterpiece, No Notes

Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands takes viewers to American suburbia, where Avon saleswoman Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest) knocks on the door of a castle that overlooks her town. Out comes a humanoid with scars on his face and scissors for hands. Edward (Depp) is the creation of an inventor who passed away before he was able to finish his greatest work.

When Peg decides to bring Edward home to her family, it’s the first time the shy humanoid comes into contact with the outside world, and at first, people are impressed by his skill with scissors. However, all Edward cares about is Kim (Winona Ryder), Peg’s daughter, with whom he quickly falls in love, much to the horror of those who don’t accept the outsider.

Released in December 1990, Edward Scissorhands quickly became a hit. It grossed $86 million against a $20 million production budget – a great performance considering the dark fantasy theme that might not have connected with all viewers. The reception from critics was positive, with the film earning a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes; today, it’s still one of the highest-rated projects in both Burton’s and Depp’s filmographies.

Notably, one of the critics who didn’t find the film appealing was Roger Ebert. In his two-star review, Ebert criticized the film’s conclusion and Burton’s tendency to design caricature-like characters: “This conclusion is so lame it’s disheartening. Surely anyone clever enough to dream up Edward Scissorhands should be swift enough to think of a payoff that involves our imagination. All of Burton’s movies look great…But shouldn’t there be something more? Some attempt to make the characters more than caricatures? They’re self-contained oddities with no connection to the real world.”

‘Edward Scissorhands’ Was the Beginning of a Long and Essential Creative Partnership

Edward Scissorhands was the first film that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp made together, marking the beginning of a creative relationship that lasted more than two decades. Their most recent collaboration is the 2012 horror comedy Dark Shadows; since then, they haven’t worked together on another project.

Which character from Burton’s universe would you like to see Depp reprise? Is it one of the most famous, like the Mad Hatter? Or is it the young, adorable humanoid with scissors for hands? If Edward’s your pick, you won’t have to wait long to revisit his story, as Edward Scissorhands arrives on Hulu this October.