An artificial man with scissors for hands lives alone in a dilapidated manor above his town. Lured down by a kindly Avon lady, he at first produces a sensation among the townspeople, impressed by his skills at topiary and hairdressing. However, when he falls in love with a cheerleader, things become more complicated...

 

Tim Burton's modern-day fable succeeds beautifully as sharp comedy and achingly sad romance. The imaginative set design and spellbinding story are both superb, but the real joys here are the performances, particularly from Depp. It's still one of his finest moments.