With so many movie releases being sequels, reboots or from existing IP in some capacity, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice seemed to crack the code on the stories that will get audiences to the movie theatre. Starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Jenna Ortega, the sequel to the 1988 movie is still a strong force at the box office that can’t be beat.
For the second week in a row, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice topped both domestic and international box offices. So far the film has brought in more than $264 million worldwide.
Whether the character of Beetlejuice is just so beloved, or the film just perfectly taps into the “goth girl” aesthetic, and appealing to those goth girls who are now closer to Ryder’s age, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice proves that some sequels, even decades later, just work.
If you’re still holding out on heading to the movie theatre to see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but getting increasingly more curious about why it’s so popular, the sequel film certainly starts off with a viable premise.
Lydia Deetz (Ryder) is our anchor for the story, channeling her unique abilities into a career as a psychic mediator on a reality TV show about paranormal activity, and she’s dating the show’s producer Rory (Justin Theroux).
The teenage side of the story is taken on this time around by Lydia’s daughter Astrid (Ortega), who’s away at a boarding arts school.
A family tragedy reunites Lydia with her her stepmother Delia (O’Hara), and Astrid, in Winter River, Connecticut, but when Astrid finds the incredibly detailed model in the attic of the Deetz family home, where Beetlejuice stays until he’s summoned, as you likely expect, the demon eventually gets to reunite with Lydia.
Speaking of Beetlejuice, he’s having some troubles in the Afterlife now that his ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) has put her body back together and is out for revenge. Making this particularly ideal timing for Beetlejuice to come out and be with the Deetz family.
While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice certainly gives you all those nostalgic feels, that’s nothing revolutionary where we currently sit with new TV and film releases.
Director Tim Burton really leaned into using less CGI, making Beetlejuice Beetlejuice look and feel like a more updated version of the original film, a more practical filmmaking style that seems to appeal to audiences. Burton created a perfectly horror-inspired and quirky world, and it’s that attention to detail that is so satisfying to watch.
When it comes to the film’s characters, they’re executed by such an all-star cast that truly span generations. Maybe you’ve been a fan of Ryder and O’Hara for decades, or you just watched them in Stranger Things and Schitt’s Creek, respectively. Maybe you just started loving Ortega from watching Wednesday or Scream. But every actor has reach far beyond any sort of niche group or age bracket.
On top of that, they’re actors that really pull off the eccentricities of Burton’s story with ease and excitement, greeting you into this world effortlessly.
Of course, Keaton falls into Beetlejuice like the legend he is. It does solidify for us that Beetlejuice is the actor’s best role to date, truly transforming into this odd, funny, but just slightly creepy and crass demon.
While there’s a lot to love with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, where the film does fall flat is in the number of storylines and characters that Burton throws into the mix. Some elements are introduced and abruptly neglected. While they’re not necessarily critical to the core narrative of the film, it can feel a bit dizzying to be given several flecks of tangential information that seemingly go nowhere.
One thing we know for sure: Prepare to see a lot of Beetlejuice-related costumes for Halloween.
