‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Review: Burton Bounces Back

After 36 years, eccentric auteur Tim Burton decides to go back to his roots and relive the world of Beetlejuice with an unexpected sequel. Boasting a star studded cast, many of the originals return to the mix (Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara) and fellow newcomers (Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Justine Theroux and Danny DeVito to name a few) enter the scene. Tim Burton presented his latest film for the World Premiere at the opening ceremony of the Venice Film Festival. 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice returns to Winter River where it all started. The Deetz family reunite back home across 3 generations to mourn the death of a family member. Opening up old wounds as distant memories come back to haunt Lydia (Winona Ryder) in the midst of hosting her ghost town show. We see her in the middle of settling down with her partner Rory (Justine Theroux) who intends to marry her as she faces her demons. With all that going on, Lydia and her relationship with her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) get tested to the brink, as we see a battle for life and death by breaking the rules of the afterlife.

If there’s one thing Tim Burton is known for, it’s that he can enjoy his own weirdness. Embracing the quirks that gives his personality a unique flavour on screen. He is willing to try anything to realise his vision and see what sticks. Many American directors would not even dare to take such risks and fear likely rejection. Beetlejuice bridged the gap between cult movies and mainstream movies by showing that horror and comedy can work together. Tim Burton made being weird look like the new cool.

This film is a blast from the past and it’s clear Burton’s filmmaking is a love long lost on modern Hollywood. His eccentric and dramatised style and love for campy humour loosely mixed with gothic horror oozed charm, brevity and chaos. He blended opposing genres seamlessly and created a bizarre and off key atmosphere that you couldn’t quite find anywhere else.

The practical effects, set and costume designs feel surreal and gives the ghost town a striking, ominous aesthetic. There is a looming sense of something forbidden lurking behind the shadows. This makes all the ghosts and the afterlife feel lived in and ‘real’. Not to mention the vibrant and harsh colour design. Sadly lost on mainstream movies nowadays with the tendency for a dull and muted palette. 

The soul train and after life concept is not too common but lays out an interesting backdrop for these characters on the verge of death. Or at the risk of losing it all with the ghosts threatening the balance of their livelihood. The great beyond is a terrifying possibility to face as a mortal still trying to live their lives. It only makes sense some of the dead fear that too. 

While the film shines in style and craft in abundance, it’s hard to ignore the messiness of the writing. The story explores too many subplots without making them flow naturally. Delores returning from the dead quite literally and hunting her beloved Beetlejuice to Lydia and Astrid bond being explored. The expectation of marriage that pressure the women to feel closed off to each other. Delia’s chaotic snake gimmick and Rory’s intentions to scam Lydia with the marriage. Or Wolf Jackson trying to imitate a masculine man as he polices the ghosts. 

Then there’s Beetlejuice himself who yearns for Lydia’s hand in marriage. Willing to do whatever it takes to fulfil his contract, to gain passage back to the real world and cause havoc as a mortal. In a nutshell, it can feel all over the place with too many narratives to keep track of and not enough time to really immerse and feel the weight of everything that transpires. 

It is frustrating because many of these storylines do have interesting ideas but there is a lack of cohesion. By the end of the film they all wrap up a bit too fast. While all tied up in a nice bow, it doesn’t truly feel satisfying or leave much to appreciate after watching. 

The cast try their hardest with Winona and Jenna’s mother daughter dynamic being heart-warming and enjoyable in the right places. Catherine O’Hara as Delia is an absolute delight with her charm. Michael Keaton puts in effort but lacks range. He doesn’t really match up to his original, humanistic but devilish portrayal of the character. 

It doesn’t help that Beetlejuice feels more like a caricature this time than the character we know and love. He can be anything you want him to be. Scary, funny, a friend or enemy. There’s a sense that he feels alone and craves some kind of company or connection. But he also wants to live again and will do whatever it takes to do that. Even if it means tricking Lydia into marriage and costing her life. 

The final act is a big swing for better and worse as Burton fully embraces the meta narrative by referencing modern pop culture and current social attitudes. There’s one line which happens to take a dig at influencers. Getting invites to major events by having a set number of followers. Another scene emphasises how easily accessible phones are to the point they intrude on the privacy of others with the cameras everywhere.

There’s a lot that goes on in the film. Marriages exposing people’s secret desires, passport stamps threatening to deport those cast aside with winks at immigration, snake bites threatening to end it all for everyone, tiny skull heads running havoc, headless bodies, a dead father reconciling with his wife and child. Drawing portals to the other end on doors with chalk, dead women coming back from the past and draining souls. There’s a lot of references to the original and it covers so much ground it might as well take up the planet.

Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice offers an entertaining ride. The darkly, sickening humour and gothic atmosphere isn’t lost on Burton all these years later but they can only do so much when the storytelling is paper thin or seemingly all over the place. Danny Elfman’s score is wondrous and the cast keeps it all together which elevates the experience a lot. It doesn’t fully work but it promises a fun, weird time.

Was it really what people were looking for all this time though? Maybe it makes sense that in a year filled with legacy sequels and remakes that Tim Burton would want to join the trend and expand on his original vision. This is quite the contrast to the director that earned his household status by differentiating from the crowd and working to his own unique strengths. He was the trend setter so it can feel like a betrayal to his own self. 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releases in theaters on September 6.