Michael Keaton returns as Betelgeuse in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” and the film wants you to know it is not trying to be new. Tim Burton directs, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar write, and the premise is simple: a family tragedy brings the Deetz clan back to Winter River, and Lydia’s teenage daughter Astrid accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife. The result is a loving, sometimes loose remake of the original, one that leans hard on nostalgia without always earning it.
Trailer, via Warner Bros..
Betelgeuse Returns
Keaton plays Betelgeuse as a ghastly “bio-exorcist” who still desires to marry someone from the living world. Burton and Keaton both wanted the character to remain as malicious and politically incorrect as he was in 1988, a decision that shapes the entire film. Burton also provides the voice of a newborn version of the character, a small touch that shows how invested he is in keeping the spirit intact.
Winona Ryder plays Lydia Deetz, now a mother and host of a paranormal talk show called Ghost House. She is still haunted by Betelgeuse, who tried to marry her decades earlier. Her daughter Astrid, played by Jenna Ortega, is a teenager who doubts her mother’s psychic abilities and that ghosts exist at all. The film sets up a generational divide between Lydia, who has spent her life in the supernatural, and Astrid, who wants a normal life.
Catherine O’Hara returns as Delia, Lydia’s stepmother, now hosting a real art show in a SoHo gallery. Justin Theroux joins the cast as Rory, a television producer and Lydia’s ex-fiancé, a character inspired by the late Glenn Shadix’s Otho Fenlock from the original film. Willem Dafoe rounds out the main cast as Wolf Jackson, a Netherworld detective.
Astrid Opens the Portal
The plot moves fast. After Lydia’s father Charles dies in a shark attack, Astrid realizes she has inherited her mother’s abilities. She discovers that Jeremy Frazier, a local boy she has befriended, is actually a ghost. He persuades her to visit the Afterlife so she can see her father.
Betelgeuse manages a call centre staffed by shrunken-headed employees, and he remains obsessed with marrying Lydia. A former actor-turned-detective named Wolf Jackson informs him that his ex-wife, Delores LaFerve, has resurfaced. Delores is draining the souls of the deceased while hunting Betelgeuse down. The couple met during the Black Death in Italy. When Delores poisoned Betelgeuse during their honeymoon as part of an immortality ritual, he dismembered her before succumbing.
Lydia reluctantly summons Betelgeuse to stop Delores. Betelgeuse agrees to help on the condition that Lydia finally marries him. Wolf launches a manhunt for Betelgeuse after he brings a living person into the Netherworld, capturing his disguised lead employee Bob, who is then drained by Delores while waiting in an interrogation room.
The Family’s Loss
The film’s central tragedy is that Lydia’s husband Richard died while in the Amazon. Lydia’s stepmother Delia reveals this to the family, and Lydia’s boyfriend Rory pressures her into marrying him on Halloween. Lydia hesitantly agrees, though she clearly does not want to.
Astrid, meanwhile, is estranged from her mother and doubts everything she says. She befriends Jeremy, who invites her to spend the holiday with him. The film spends considerable time establishing this bond, showing Astrid’s desire to understand her father and her mother’s reluctance to let go of the past.
What Works and What Doesn’t
The film’s strengths are its performances and its willingness to lean into the absurdity of the original. Keaton is perfectly cast as Betelgeuse, and he delivers some of the best lines in the film. Ryder brings a weariness to Lydia that feels earned, and Ortega carries the emotional weight of Astrid’s journey. The supporting cast, including Dafoe and Theroux, all get their moments.
The film also looks great. Burton’s direction is consistent with his visual style, and the Netherworld scenes are rendered with care. The call centre managed by Betelgeuse is a highlight, with its shrunken-headed employees adding a grotesque charm.
But the film struggles with pacing and focus. The plot jumps between Lydia’s present-day troubles, Astrid’s adventures in the Afterlife, and Betelgeuse’s schemes, and the film never quite settles on a single tone. Some scenes feel rushed, and others feel padded.
The film’s reliance on nostalgia is both its strength and its weakness. Fans of the original will find plenty to enjoy, but newcomers may find the references heavy-handed. The film assumes you know Betelgeuse’s history, and it does not always explain things for those who don’t.
A Solid Return
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is not a masterpiece, but it is a solid return to form for a beloved character. Keaton’s performance is a highlight, and the film’s visual style is consistently strong. The story is a bit loose, and the pacing is uneven, but the film succeeds as a tribute to the original.
Key Facts
– Directed by Tim Burton
– Written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar
– Runtime: 105 minutes
– Cast includes Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe
– Score: 6.9/10
The film earns a 6.9/10. That is a fair score for a film that knows exactly what it wants to be and mostly delivers on it. It is a fun, occasionally messy ride that respects the legacy of the original while carving out its own space.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
