BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE: A Wonderfully Macabre Return to the Afterlife

As the Deetz family copes with the tragic death of Charles, the afterlife begins to seep into their mourning period, leading them to seek the help of the eccentric bio-exorcist who is navigating another strange and unusual reunion. With a blend of familiar faces from the original film and new additions to the cast, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice brings the Neitherworld hijinks back in a beautifully morbid way, while also crafting a story that stands on its own.

At this point, I think we all go into legacy sequels with a bit of hesitancy, as so many fail to capture the same creative spark. What sets Beetlejuice Beetlejuice apart is how intentional it is. The film feels meticulously crafted while paying homage to the original but confidently standing on its own.

There’s the same iconic score by Danny Elfman and the classic Tim Burton aesthetics, capturing the essential charm of Beetlejuice. However, these memorable elements are revitalized with a sharp script filled with morbidly delightful humor, courtesy of writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.

With Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara reprising their roles as Lydia and Delia, there’s this wonderfully chaotic matriarchal tug-of-war as Lydia struggles with her teenage daughter. Both get more time to flex their comedic chops, which I loved to see. And overall I enjoyed where we pick up in their lives and careers. It felt very realistic to where we’d meet up with them in the present day.

The film also does a great job tackling the absence of the actor who originally portrayed Charles, without making him disappear. (I’ll let you Google why he’s not in it)

Of course, the biggest absence is Adam and Barbara Maitland, played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis in the original. It makes sense given the tall order it would be to de-age the actors 30-something years. But I liked how they are briefly mentioned to provide a reason, but the film doesn’t dwell on it for long.

We also get several new characters, most notably Lydia’s daughter, Astrid Deetz (played by Jenna Ortega), and the bewitching Delores (portrayed by Monica Bellucci). Ortega certainly fits in naturally, having already killed it in Burton’s Wednesday series. But I was most impressed by Bellucci, who is so unbelievably mesmerizing as Delores; she’ll undoubtedly become an iconic character.

But we can’t talk about iconic characters without Michael Keaton, who slips back into the decaying striped suit with such ease. He delivers a standout performance where you can tell he’s fully in his element and thriving, his comedic prowess so instinctive. Proving he still has the juice to captivate audiences.

On a technical side, I was impressed by how the movie used different mediums to convey some of the exposition. Tim Burton is no stranger to this, but there were also great moments with stop motion and classic black-and-white horror films, which I thought were clever.

We also get more of that signature Burton aesthetic in The Neitherworld, which this film gives us a deeper look into. I loved seeing the classic practical effects and new corpses in the waiting room, as well as just the expanded view of how it operates. There’s also an adorable addition of Bob, a shrunken head ghoul, and Betelgeuse’s right-hand man.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice delivers a delightful blend of nostalgia, humor, and imaginative storytelling. The film has numerous fun elements that breathe new life into this world, while still maintaining that classic Burton touch (without relying too much on said nostalgia). Some moments do feel a bit overdone—maybe a lip-sync moment that lasts a bit too long—but most of it makes for a super amusing watch. It’s the best time I’ve had in the Neitherworld since ’88.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters now