It’s difficult to recall the exact moment I watched the 1988 ‘Beetlejuice’ for the first time. By the time I was a teenager, it felt like the movie was just a natural part of my life and my annual Halloween rewatches. The campy and macabre magic that Burton brings to life through an amalgamation of living and dead characters created one of the most iconic films of his discography. Now, after 36 years, Michael Keaton’s absurd demon and Winona Ryder’s goth baby bangs are back on screen in a nostalgia-filled, undeniably Tim Burton sequel.
The film starts with context for a couple of decades we have missed since we last saw Beetlejuice, with grown-up (still goth) Lydia Deetz as host of a paranormal television talk show and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) reuniting in the wake of a sudden loss. The reunion leads us to meet Astrid (Jenna Ortega), Lydia’s estranged daughter away at boarding school, and Lydia’s producer boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux). In a funeral planned with haste, further chaos ensues, including a rushed proposal, Astrid meeting a Tate Langdon-esque love interest, and Betelgeuse’s ex-wife (Monica Bellucci) have risen from the dead (again) (sort of).
Notably, Keaton’s Betelguese (or Beetlejuice, if you will) brings life to the screen beyond the cinematic grave. He remains witty, horny, and irrevocably charming. The thirty years that have passed mean nothing to the Juice, the antics made with special effects still illuminate the screen and elicit giggles out of every seat filled in the theater.
The plot of the film seems strewn together by a very eclectic thread, moments seeming out of place and characters going ignored for large amounts of screentime, but the lawlessness and rule-bending of cinema is what charms the audiences of 2024, as well as the intense pluck of nostalgia strings. The beloved classic features a maximalist camp backdrop to a familial drama for the misunderstood, and this film is at times too keenly aware of the service it wants to provide for fans. The impressive and original production design that creates the unseen realms of the afterlife remind fans of just how great Burton is at telling his stories the way he wants to. A whimsical score by common collaborator Danny Elfman to accompany the film also puts a smile on any fan’s face.
Fan service, what is now becoming the film industry’s newest epidemic, can feel gimmicky and money-hungry. While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice dominated in the box office, it's not solely due to repeated motifs of sandworms and iconic red wedding dresses, but Burton knowing his audience. The boy-ish and all the while eccentric humor keeps its spirit three decades later. What could have been considered a cheap, throw-away line or reference is made dear to the new plot of the 2024 iteration of Beetlejuice’s latest adventures.
It's often said that no sequel can ever surpass the original, and that applies to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, However, it's not trying to in any way. It’s a sequel that wants to keep the spirit and magic of the first installation alive, which is still rare in today’s climate. And obviously is a beautiful setup for the third installation, saying his name three times…if you dare.
Written by Ana Marks
Photography: Mark Bluemle
Director / Talent: Jazzi Almestica