Director: Tim Burton 
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Burn Gorman
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 104 mins

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s original, arguably the height of his career. Although I found a lot to like in Big Eyes and Dumbo, it would be fair to acknowledge none of Burton’s films over the last decade have particularly resonated with audiences. A legacy sequel set more than three decades from the original, many of the original cast return. Legacy sequels are always risky business and while there’ve been some successes such as Halloween (2018) and Top Gun: Maverick, we’ve also born witness to disasters such as The Exorcist: Believer and Alien: Romulus. 

Original goth girl Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is now a mother and the host of a supernatural television show. She’s estranged from her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega) since the death of her husband on a family trip to the Amazon. She’s also still haunted by the spectre of Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), the charismatic, grotesque ghost who tried to marry her in the original.  When Lydia’s stepfather Charles (an off-screen Jeffrey Jones) meets an untimely end, she travels back to her childhood home of horrors in Winter River, Connecticut with Astrid and stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) for the funeral. As one can imagine, all hell breaks loose. 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a very pleasant surprise – an excellent legacy sequel that’s not far off the quality of the original, showcasing Burton at his best. The script by Alfred Gough and Mark Millar is razor-sharp and full of charm, with lots of laughs to be had. The only element that didn’t work for me was an explanation as to why Geena David and Alec Baldwin’s deceased couple in the original film didn’t feature. 

Although some have criticised this sequel for being overstuffed, I thought the various elements really worked and there’s excitement in knowing that all of the different storylines are inevitably going to collide. The film’s visually arresting too, with lots of physical effects and I particularly admired an early body horror sequence where a character staples body parts together. Danny Elfman turns in a typically romping and swooning score that keeps the film fast-paced. 

Michael Keaton’s reliably excellent as the grotesque bio-exorcist, in the role that arguably launched his career and he gets plenty of smart quips. It’s also refreshing to see Winona Ryder, who hasn’t taken a leading role in a mainstream film in quite a while. Catherine O’Hara brings an energetic wit that permeated her early roles and the newcomers are excellent too. Jenna Ortega is a defiant, quieter version of her mother and Justin Theroux has fun as a Lydia’s slimy boyfriend. There’s also a deliciously fun cameo from Danny DeVito early into the film that’s very memorable. 

I was quite surprised by how entertaining Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is, especially considering my tempered expectations. Burton proves he’s still flowing with the creative juices that left such an impression on his early work and I hope the strong reception to this film inspires him to continue developing wholly original pieces.