Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Prepare for a taste of adventure.
A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 13 July 2005 |
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy |
| Director | Tim Burton |
| Starring | Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore and David Kelly |
| Runtime | 115 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.2/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 83% · Metacritic 72/100 · TMDB users 7.0/10 |
| Budget | $150 million |
| Box office | $475 million worldwide |
Where to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Max is $18.49 at list price.
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What kind of watch this is
Tim Burton directs a 115-minute fantasy adventure that treats candy as a serious architectural problem. Johnny Depp plays the factory owner, a man whose whimsy is less charming than it is deeply unsettling. The film runs long enough to make you question why you are still watching a child eat gum. It is a spectacle that knows it is a spectacle, leaning into the weird until the weird becomes the point.
What the critics said
Critics leaned toward approval, though with reservations. Rotten Tomatoes reports an 83% positive rating from 226 reviews as of November 2022, while Metacritic assigns a 72/100 Metascore based on 40 critic reviews. A. O. Scott of The New York Times praised the film’s ability to feed a youthful appetite for aesthetic surprise, noting its success despite some serious imperfections. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called it Burton’s best work in years, crediting Highmore’s sincere performance for the film’s heart. Not everyone agreed. Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post found Depp’s acting uninteresting and simpering.
How it did with audiences
The budget was $150 million. The worldwide gross was $475 million. In the United States, it took in $206 million. On TMDB, users rate it 7 out of 10. Audiences seemed to enjoy the sugar rush without needing the studio to do the math.
What came next for the cast
Johnny Depp had just stepped out of a swashbuckling era, and Helena Bonham Carter was already deep in a wizarding world. For Freddie Highmore, the trajectory shifted from film roles to a long-running television presence. The credits do not map a direct line from this factory to those specific careers. They simply mark a point where paths diverged, some into franchises, others into very different lanes.
Where it left its mark
Critics have called the film popular but divisive. Entertainment Weekly ranked it Burton’s third-best, praising its sustained fantasy. Variety called it a bittersweet homage to pleasure. Time Out disagreed, naming it the worst Roald Dahl adaptation. It is generally regarded as more faithful to the source than the 1971 version. Some critics, including Guy Lodge, found Johnny Depp’s Wonka chilly and off-putting. Others, like Griffin Newman, appreciate the comic energy Burton injected into the story. The film has become a touchstone for younger viewers, with Willy Wonka cosplays going viral on TikTok.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Sources
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q218235 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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