Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands) is back with the ghostly antics of Beetlejuice — again! For those of us who loved the bizarre, lovable chaos of the 1988 original, Burton’s new film delivers a modern dose of afterlife mayhem that feels both familiar and unpredictable. Most of the original cast has returned to reprise their memorable roles, and it is clear they had a blast. Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice is as mischievous as ever, and Catherine O’Hara brings her usual eccentric charm to her portrayal of Delia, making the screen spark with nostalgic energy.
Now, if you’re wondering if the new Beetlejuice is just a dull revival of the original, think again. The storyline takes us deeper into the twisted realms of Burton’s imagination, where for instance, Justin Theroux’s delightfully absurd character Vin, boyfriend-turned-manager of Lydia (Winona Ryder), taps into the zeitgeist of modern-day trends with yoga retreats, breathing exercises, and “inner-child meditations.” Vin is the kind of guy who spouts self-help clichés but has little interest in actual growth — and Theroux nails it, adding a satirical layer that Burton uses to poke fun at influencer culture. It’s all a bit ridiculous, and that’s the point.
At the heart of the story, we find Lydia struggling as a mother. Now a single parent to her estranged teenage daughter, Astrid (played by Jenna Ortega), Lydia faces her own ghosts, literally and figuratively. The father of her child has died in a jaw-droppingly absurd accident — he was killed in the Amazon and essentially became fish food. And his father, Charles Deetz (from the original movie) survived a plane crash, only to meet his end with a shark bite, costing him his head. It’s the sort of dark humor that Burton fans will recognize instantly. Following his death, Lydia, her daughter, Vin and Delia are reluctantly reunited for his funeral back in Winter River, New York. The scene is set for some generational dysfunction, with Lydia’s relationship with Astrid resembling a ghostly echo of her younger self: a strange, fractured bond.
In classic Burton fashion, the afterlife is again a twisted dreamscape. The famous waiting room — a symbol of bureaucratic purgatory from the first film — returns in all its German Expressionist glory, with twisted hallways and a Soul Train scene that’s equal parts fun and creepy. The dreamy is still Burton’s forte. There’s a knife-wielding ghost with a fatal injury on display, a Santa Claus who met a fiery end, and even a Houdini-like magician who didn’t quite escape his water-filled coffin. Every death is a spectacle, and every ghost is a story, visually reminding us why Beetlejuice became a cult classic in the first place.
Source: IMDB
One of the new characters is played by Monica Bellucci, who quite literally “puts herself together” in a spectacular opening sequence, which reportedly took days to shoot. She plays Beetlejuice’s ex-wife, who is now on a vendetta against him. Their shared backstory unfolds like a fever dream — think black-and-white Italian horror, complete with goat sacrifices and a hint of Fellini. It’s mad, surreal, and delightfully unsettling, a throwback to Burton’s early years when he embraced the bizarre with open arms.
However, let’s address the elephant in the room #1: the absences. Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are not here to reprise their roles as the couple who anchored the first film and added much playfulness to it. Jeffrey Jones’s character, Charles, also meets a swift demise due to Jones’s own off-screen controversies. These absences are felt, making it clear that while this Beetlejuice sequel honors its past, it’s keenly aware that some elements are, quite literally, ghosts of a different era.
The opening scene is an homage to the original movie – a notch too “digital” and “real”, but still. With Danny Elfman’s haunting score playing in the background, the camera drifts over a stormy Winter River, finally settling on Lydia as she pitches her ghost-seeing services on a reality TV show. Burton takes direct aim at our age, creating a surreal lens through which we see the bizarre superficiality of reality TV and internet fame. One particularly sharp scene takes place in a church full of influencers at the climax, where Burton’s critique of “comfortable treasure hunters” — people searching for fame without real substance — is as biting as it is darkly funny.
Where the film stumbles #2: the story tries to do a bit too much, introducing plotlines and characters that feel slightly fragmented. For fans of Burton’s early, tightly woven stories, this might be a little disorienting. Beetlejuice works best in short bursts of weirdness and surreal humor, and at times, the sequel stretches itself thin, trying to hit every note and sometimes failing to hit any of them with real depth. It is fun, yes, but perhaps a simpler script would have allowed Burton to explore his characters in a more focused way, now they have quite separate storylines.
Many of the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice visuals, however, are vintage Burton — expressive, almost dreamlike, with those quirky miniature details, and practical tangible effects that pull you into his world. The costumes and sets brim with personality, and in the afterlife, the world of the dead is more vibrant and whimsical than ever. The prop work, like bulging eyes or the shrunken heads (R.I.P. Bob), keeps the original’s charm alive.
Whether this sequel should have been made at all is a question likely to divide fans. Beetlejuice (1988) had a warmth, simplicity, old-school charm and yes, that quirky “Banana Boat Song” dance sequence, which made it unforgettable. The sequel’s modern polish and sometimes cluttered story may feel like it has lost that spark. But for fans who love Burton’s freewheeling style and do not mind a little chaos, this film brings plenty of wild experimentation. Think of the moment when Beetlejuice serenades Lydia or plays a couples therapist – it’s Burton in his purest form — loose, unfiltered, and ready to explore the weirdest parts of his imagination.
At nearly two hours, the movie may feel a bit long, but one thing’s for sure: it’s fun, strange, and utterly Tim Burton.
You can still catch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at your local cinema or watch it on Apple TV.
~ by Dora Endre ~
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