The long-awaited sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice accomplishes exactly what it needed to do. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a big dose of nostalgia, covered in goo and brought to life by a cast totally committed to Tim Burton’s vision. Newcomers Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux understood the assignment, but it’s the returning cast members who really bring the fun in this much-anticipated sequel.
The 2024 sequel catches up with the Deetz family 30+ years after the events in Beetlejuice. Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder, Stranger Things) is a single mom whose relationship with her teenage daughter is a hot mess. Said daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega, Wednesday), lives in constant annoyance. She resents her mom’s work as a psychic mediator and host of a ghost-hunting TV show. Astrid also cannot stand her mom’s manager and boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux, White House Plumbers). To be honest, she’s right in thinking the guy’s an arrogant jerk.
And as far as the whole ghost thing goes, Astrid’s a nonbeliever. If Lydia can see ghosts, why hasn’t she seen Astrid’s dead dad? Again, Astrid has a point. However, Astrid’s belief system is challenged when she’s forced to return to her mom’s childhood home after a frantic call from Delia (Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek). Lydia’s dad bit the dust, and in a series of delicious twists, it’s revealed he died an incredibly gruesome death. (More on that later.) Stepmom Delia demands their presence as she prepares to mourn her husband in classic Delia the diva’s over-the-top, outlandish style.
The original film’s setup had the Deetz family moving into a home occupied by the ghosts of Adam and Barbara Maitland (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis). Goth girl Lydia could see the ghosts, and her friendship with the couple led to crazy encounters with Betelgeuse. A trickster who fashions himself to be the “ghost with the most,” Betelgeuse tried to use Lydia to return to the world of the living. The Maitlands foiled his plans before he and Lydia could exchange wedding vows.
Flash-forward 30 years, and the impish Betelgeuse still pines for Lydia to the point he’s taken to randomly popping up just to annoy her. Reluctantly drawn back to the Ghost House-as the townsfolk call it-Lydia once again finds herself in Betelgeuse’s domain.
Tim Burton’s version of an afterlife is filled with red tape, a rule book as thick as an encyclopedia, and offices staffed by overworked and underappreciated employees. While Beetlejuice spent very little time in the world inhabited by the dead, the sequel devotes a decent amount of time in the world of the dead. The afterlife functions like a small city, albeit one with a grungy color palette, horribly disfigured occupants, and a deeply depressing and macabre vibe.
The film jumps back and forth between the lands of the living and the dead, with Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuse as the ringmaster. Keaton still has that pep in his step, and his 2024 Betelgeuse is just as manic and menacing as his 1988 version. No one can match Keaton’s energy, and watching him slip back into this weird creature is an absolute blast.
Delia Deetz has evolved from sculpting bizarre structures to performance art, and Catherine O’Hara goes big every chance she gets as the eccentric artist. If Delia’s in a scene, O’Hara makes her the focus-even if it’s not the script’s intention. She’s just that fabulous. Winona Ryder has the most challenging job since this adult Lydia is no longer the rebel, having ceded that position to Jenna Ortega’s Astrid. The sequel’s Lydia is weighed down by having to balance seeing the dead while dealing with the living. It’s only after Betelgeuse pushes her into mama bear mode that the old Lydia emerges.
Jenna Ortega’s Astrid wants a normal life and has nothing but disdain for all things paranormal…until the afterlife basically smacks her in the face. Ortega’s so good at ‘teen with an attitude’ roles, and she infuses Astrid with the perfect mix of loneliness, anger, and confusion, as well as a longing to reconnect with her mom.
Justin Theroux’s terrific as the sleazy producer with narcissistic tendencies. Theroux’s a welcome addition to the Beetlejuice world, as is Willem Dafoe as a dead actor who spends the afterlife in his most famous role of a TV detective named Wolf Jackson. And Monica Bellucci flits in and out of the story as Delores, a soul-sucking demon obsessed with getting revenge on her ex-husband Betelgeuse. There’s so much going on that Bellucci’s Delores is almost lost in the shuffle.
Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are missed, but Jeffrey Jones, who played Lydia’s dad, definitely isn’t. Jones is persona non grata in Hollywood after being charged with possession of child pornography and soliciting a minor to pose for sexually explicit photographs in 2002. Burton and screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar didn’t just write out the character; they killed him off with a gory death and then used the death as the reason for Lydia and Delia to reunite at the Ghost House.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is loaded with references to the original film. In fact, a Beetlejuice refresher is warranted before watching the sequel. Revisiting his 1988 hit seems to have reinvigorated Burton, and the sequel is a big, joyous reunion.
Jump in the [ticket] line, rock your body in time [while in your theater seat]. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice won’t make you break out in a Tango, waltz, or rumba, but it’s a fun, nostalgic trip that captures the weird and twisted Beetlejuice vibe. On the downside, you’ll be singing that maddeningly addictive song for weeks and driving everyone around you nuts.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for macabre and bloody images, brief drug use, some suggestive material, strong language, and violent content
Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
Release Date: September 6, 2024
Studio: Warner Bros Pictures
