Beetlejuice Beetlejuice successfully recreates the magic that captivated audiences decades ago.

1988’s Beetlejuice, directed by Tim Burton, brought audiences a hilarious horror comedy that balanced dark themes with quirkiness, humour and smart wit. The story is a fanciful commentary on how the dead and the living could co-exist peacefully. 36 years later, Tim Burton returns to direct the sequel, alongside Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz and Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz.

Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh

In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected tragedy. Lydia’s life is turned upside down, this time by her teenage daughter Astrid Deetz (played by Jenna Ortega). Astrid stumbles upon and accidentally opens a portal to the afterlife, causing mayhem and mischief for the living and dead realms. In desperation, Beetlejuice is summoned to bring his madness into the equation.

This film does not have the pitfalls that plague many legacy sequels as it’s not a retelling or retread nor does it retcon the original. It’s all new and fresh, yet it retains the horror, humour, cinematography, brutality and mind-blowing practical effects and feel of the original film. Dark themes are balanced with themes of hope and optimism.

Does this legacy sequel play it safe? Absolutely not. Characters are not safe from death or worse, and there are quite a few twists and turns, especially in the last 40 minutes of the runtime. Without going into spoilers, the plot answers several questions about the original and the 36-year gap that will satisfy fans without degrading the mystique of the afterlife or Beetlejuice himself.

Beetlejuice is as twistedly crude and funny as he was in the ‘80s. It feels like no time has passed for him or Keaton. Keaton’s performance, just like the original film, is ageless and perfect.

Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh

Despite the horror themes, the film is laughs-a-plenty and full of groovy musical sequences. It’s funny and silly, and every character gets a moment to make the audience laugh. Standouts from the supporting cast include Willem Dafoe as Jackson, Monica Bellucci as Delores, and Nick Kellington as Bob. A few surprise and memorable characters and cameos are thrown into the mix as well.

The Deetz family are not safe from tragedy, especially in this film. Each family member is experiencing a form of trauma, and it’s up to them to come together to face their demons or suffer alone.

Ortega, Winona and O’Hara share great chemistry on screen and are very believable as a family. Ortega shines as Astrid, a cynical but likeable teenager. Winona’s Lydia is all grown up, but still the strange and unusual girl we met 36 years ago. Out of the three, O’Hara stole the show. Her character is greatly enhanced due to having more screen time to flesh out the character of Delia appropriately and comedically.

Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a clever and light-hearted horror comedy that carries a warm-hearted message about living and moving on. It successfully builds upon the original film’s lore and characters. The afterlife has never looked better thanks to outstanding performances, dance sequences, practical effects, costumes and set design. There’s something for everyone, especially if you grew up with Beetlejuice.

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is in cinemas now!

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