Last updated on October 3rd, 2024 at 10:22 pm
Dark Shadows (2012) is a fantasy horror movie directed by Tim Burton. The movie starts with Johnny Depp, Eva Green and the story is based on the gothic TV soap opera Dark Shadows.
Those who did not watched the original series, they feel little bit confuse after completing this movie. In this article I discuss for them.
Dark Shadows Plot Story & Ending Explained in details
* * * Spoiler Alert – If you haven’t seen the movie yet, turn back now! * * *
The movie starts in 1760 when young Barnabas and his wealthy family shifted to Collinsport and built Collinwood Mansion.
Fifteen years later, Barnabas gets in a relationship with one of their servants, Angelique. But he does not want to marry her.
Angelique, who is secretly a witch, murders his parents and curses Barnabas. As a result, he turns into a vampire. She also influenced Barnabas’s love Josette to jump from a cliff and murdered her.
Then she turns villagers against Barnabas to bury him alive.
The scene cuts to 1972, and Victoria joins the job as a governess at Collinwood Mansion. He meets all the family members at the dinner table. Her student’s name is David, his sister Carolyn, their mother Elizabeth, their father Roger, and Dr. Julia Hoffman.
Later at night, Victoria sees Josette’s spirit.
On the other hand, several laborers are seen digging the soil for construction work. They find Barnabas’ coffin and cut chains. As a result, Barnabas is freed and in no time kills many of the workers and absorbs their blood.
He returns to Collinwood Mansion and meets Elizabeth. Barnabas reveals he is their ancestor but Elizabeth doesn’t believe it. Barnabas, therefore, takes Elizabeth to the treasure room and gives them to her. She then believes Barnabas has indeed returned.
Later, Elizabeth introduces Barnabas to everyone at the dinner table as a distant relative. Here he sees Victoria and calls her Josette. Victoria & Josette look completely the same.
On the other hand, Barnabas learns their fishing business is now completely taken over by a woman named Angelique. Shortly then, Barnabas realizes she is none other than Angelique, the witch from 200 years ago.
Barnabas hypnotizes some big fishing businessmen and convinces them to do business on his behalf. This restarted their fishing business.
Read more Vampire series, Midnight Mass (2021)
A few days later, Barnabas threw a party at their house and the city’s dignitaries were invited. There Angelique appears uninvited. She learns Barnabas and Victoria are having an affair.
That night Barnabas learned Dr. Hoffman did not receive a blood transfusion to treat him. Instead, she wanted to become immortal by injecting Barnabas’ blood into her body.
Barnabas becomes very angry, and Dr. Hoffman is killed by absorbing her blood. She was then chained and thrown into the water.
Angelique, on the other hand, is maddened by her love. She sets fire to all Barnabas’ factories.
Barnabas goes to see Angelique and casually confesses he murdered Dr. Hoffman.
Angelique captures Barnabas and puts him in a coffin deep in the woods.
After a while, David goes there and frees her from the coffin. He reveals his mother’s spirit has directed the place and asks Barnabas to rescue him.
A huge fight ensues between the Collins family and Angelique. She loses. She takes out her heart and wants to give it to Barnabas, but he refuses.
After a while, Barnabas noticed Victoria heading towards the top of the hill. Because she is going to kill himself after being hypnotized by Angelique.
Victoria jumps from the top and Barnabas also jumps in to save her. He grabs Victoria before she falls to the ground. Then they share a kiss.
Finally, when Barnabas calls Victoria by name, she corrects it as Josette.
In the last scene of the movie, we see Dr. Hoffman open her eyes. That is, she did not die but turned into a vampire.
Who is Angelique in Dark Shadows?
Angelique Bouchard is the main antagonist of the movie Dark Shadows. Famous actress Eva Green played this role.
In the movie, Angelique is a witch who specializes in black magic. She can harm others through her black magic, cast curses, and even cause death.
We first see the effect of his magic on the family of Barnabas. When he rejects her love and refuses to marry. She swears to end all those close and dear to Barnabas. As a result, Angelique casts a giant statue on Barnabas’ parents through witchcraft. Which led them to die.
In the movie, Angelique is still young after 200 years. That is, her age has not increased. This is because she absorbed someone else’s lifespan through magic. As a result, she still looks young.
Why does Victoria call herself “Josette” at the end of the movie?
In the last scene of the movie, Barnabas calls Victoria by name. But she corrects and says “Josette.”
This scenario may look a bit complicated but it is not that much. Flashbacks to Victoria’s past life reveal that from a young age she could see and communicate with spirits. That means she also talked to Josette and learned about her fate.
Because they both loved Barnabas, Victoria allowed Josette’s spirit to enter her body. That is, two souls currently exist in Victoria’s body.
Why didn’t everyone Barnabas bit turn into a vampire?
According to modern vampire theory, a person will only become a vampire if another vampire sucks all of his blood until death. Otherwise, he won’t turn into a vampire, instead, he’ll die of anemia.
According to this theory, only those who Barnabas kills by sucking their whole blood become vampires.
As we see Dr. In Hoffman’s case, she became a vampire. But the children killed at Camp Fire did not turn into vampires.
Why does Barnabas refuse Angelique’s heart in the end of Dark Shadows (2012)?
In the final part of the movie, Angelique pulls out her heart just before she dies. He wants to give it to Barnabas. But Barnabas refused. Because he hates Angelique so much.
Only the reason for Angelique, Barnabas lost his parents & loved ones and was cursed to become a vampire. After 200 years of hatred, it’s only natural he would reject anything from her.
Official Synopsis
Continuing their creative and commercially incandescent partnership (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands), superstar Johnny Depp and macabre movie master Tim Burton reunite yet again in this silver screen adaptation of the cult classic supernatural soap opera that follows the life and loves of New England vampire Barnabas Collins. Also starring Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman Returns), Eva Green (Camelot), Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter) and Australian newcomer Bella Heathcote as a young woman who finds herself inexplicably entwined in the vampire’s fated love story two centuries earlier, DARK SHADOWS brings to light Depp’s vampire from 1752 into the lava lamped vamp camp of 1972!
Summary
Original Title: Dark Shadows
Genre: Horror/ Fantasy
Runtime: 1hr 53min
Original Language: English
Directed by Tim Burton
Tagline: Every Family Has Its Demons.
Release date: May 11, 2012 (USA)
Cast of Characters
| Actor/Actress Name | Characters Name |
|---|---|
| Johnny Depp | Barnabas Collins |
| Eva Green | Angelique Bouchard |
| Michelle Pfeiffer | Elizabeth Collins |
| Bella Heathcote | Victoria |
| Helena Bonham Carter | Dr. Julia Hoffman |
