Johnny Deppas Edward ScissorhandsThe story
About Edward Scissorhands
A gentle, unfinished artificial man with blades in place of hands is taken in from his hilltop mansion by a kindly door-to-door cosmetics saleswoman and brought down into her pastel suburb. His hedge sculpting and hairdressing make him the neighbourhood's darling until misunderstandings, a jealous boyfriend and a fraught Christmas party turn the street against him. Told as a bedtime story by a grandmother, it explains why snow now falls on the town each winter.
The CineClaus verdict
A Christmas film mostly in its last act and its framing, and for a lot of viewers that is enough.
For much of the running time it is a sunny suburban satire, sharp about neighbours who adore an outsider right up until they don't. Johnny Depp barely speaks and still carries it, while Danny Elfman's choral score does half the emotional lifting.
The ending is sad more than cosy. Put it on for a teenager who has started rolling their eyes at cosy films, and keep the tissues handy.
The family desk
Can the kids watch?
No family note from us yet. The 12 certificate is the guide for now.
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence.
Content advice & accessibility
- Where the advice comes from
- The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
- Our age guidance
- Editorial, separate from the official 12 certificate, and never looser than it.
- Subtitles · Audio description
- Check your chosen service and edition for supported tracks.
