Sweeney Todd (1936): Not the Musical, Still Creepy! 💈🥧

Alright, so when you hear "Sweeney Todd," most of you probably jump straight to Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, all singing and blood. This one, though, Sweeney Todd (1936), is a whole different beast.

It's definitely not for everyone – if you're looking for slick modern horror or a grand musical, you'll be bored stiff. But if you're a classic film buff, someone keen on seeing how horror looked *way* back when, or just curious about the origin of the legend, then yeah, it's absolutely worth a look.

For everyone else? Maybe skip it. 🤷‍♀️

The film throws you into this old London fog, and right away, it’s about this guy, Sweeney Todd (Moore Marriott), who keeps having these *really* intense dreams. He's dreaming he’s this horrible barber, slashing throats and turning folks into pies.

It’s less a straightforward horror flick and more like a psychological slow burn around these visions.

The whole thing feels super stagey, which, you know, makes sense for 1936. The actors often project their lines like they're trying to reach the back row of a theatre, not a camera.

Moore Marriott as Todd is *intense*, his eyes bugging out at the oddest moments. 👀 It gives him a genuinely unsettling vibe, even if it's a bit much sometimes.

There's a scene where he's just staring into a mirror, and the camera just holds on him. It feels like 20 seconds too long, but then it actually starts working, making you feel his inner turmoil, or whatever you'd call it.

The little details of his shop, all dusty and cramped, really sell the dingy atmosphere.

Pacing-wise, it's... deliberate. Like, *really* deliberate. There are chunks where not much happens besides someone talking in a dimly lit room.

You can almost feel the movie trying to build suspense without any jump scares, which is a neat approach for its time.

The black and white cinematography actually helps here. The shadows are deep, making things feel more ominous than they probably would have in color. That one shot, early on, with the fog just rolling past the cobblestones? Pretty effective, honestly, for a movie of this vintage. 🌫️

The biggest thing, the *dream* angle, is what makes this version stand out. It adds this layer of ambiguity.

Is he doing it? Is it all in his head? It's a clever way to approach such a grisly story without showing too much, especially given the censors of the era. They kinda lean into that until the end.

It's a bit of a cop-out, maybe, but intriguing.

The dialogue is very much of its time, quite formal, even when characters are freaking out. Iris Darbyshire, who plays Joanna, has a certain charm, but her character feels mostly there to be worried about.

Judd Green as the Constable tries to bring some groundedness. But honestly, it’s all about Todd’s internal struggle, or his lack thereof.

You'll notice some moments that probably weren't meant to be funny but definitely are today. Like, one reaction shot from a background extra when someone yells; it just lingers for a beat too long. 😂 It reminds you this is a very different era of filmmaking.

Without giving too much away, the ending is... different. It doesn't quite stick the landing for modern audiences who might expect a grand, bloody crescendo.

It resolves things, but in a way that feels a little neat, perhaps even a bit of a letdown after all that psychological buildup.

So, Sweeney Todd (1936) isn't a masterpiece, not by a long shot. It’s got its clunky bits, the acting is sometimes broad, and the whole dream thing might frustrate some.

But it's an important piece of horror history, a genuinely *weird* take on a famous tale. It’s got a certain charm, a raw, almost experimental feel that’s fascinating to watch unfold. It makes you think about how these stories evolve.