I could say there are no other films like Beetlejuicebut that wouldn’t be entirely true. Tim Burton’s 1988 horror comedy actually boasts a wonderfully unique concept, astonishing production design, and a scene-stealing performance by Michael Keaton as the titular bio-exorcist, the likes of which has never been seen before.
However, there are many other classic horror films and newer scary favorites that treat supernatural elements in a similarly surreal and cartoonish way. With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hits theaters September 6th and I’m in the mood to turn on the juice and see what else is going on by watching movies that remind me why I love the original Beetlejuice so much.
The Fearsome Imps (1996)
Michael J. Fox plays a medium who enlists the help of real ghosts to help him stage fake hauntings, but then must use his abilities to stop an evil presence from terrorizing his small town.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: Fox’s character in the crazy paranormal dramedy, The Fearsome – one of Peter Jackson’s most underrated films – follows a plan similar to Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland’s (Geena Davis) goal of using their ghostly powers to drive the Deetzes out of their house.
Buy or rent “The Frighteners” on Amazon.
Buy The Frighteners on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Little Monsters (1989)
A young man (played by Fred Savage) discovers that a truly grotesque creature (played by Howie Mandel) lives under his bed and forms an unusual friendship with it.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: With the cult favorite Little Monstershere we have another comedy with a silly and mischievous (but in this case friendly) creature and a glimpse into a place beyond our world that has a similar aesthetic to the afterlife in Beetlejuice.
Stream Little Monsters on Peacock.
Buy or rent Little Monsters on Amazon.
Buy Little Monsters on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1991)
Bill S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) must figure out how to come back to life after being murdered by mechanical duplicates of themselves.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: The second part of the Bill and Ted Movies, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventureis how Beetlejuicean adventure from the perspective of two recently deceased protagonists who experience a depiction of the afterlife that is both horrific and hilarious.
Stream “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” on Max.
Buy or rent Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure on Amazon.
Buy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), the king of Halloween, becomes fascinated with another holiday and makes a horribly misguided attempt to bring it into his spooky world.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: The one “Tim Burton film” that best matches the surreal aesthetic of Beetlejuice could be the classic Christmas horror film, Nightmare Before Christmas – The Nightmare Before Christmas – Stop-motion masterpiece by director Henry Selick, which Burton produced and wrote the story for.
Stream “Nightmare Before Christmas” on Disney+.
Buy or rent “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on Amazon.
Buy The Nightmare Before Christmas on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Death Becomes Her (1992)
A rivalry between a writer (played by Goldie Hawn) and the actor (played by Meryl Streep) who stole her ex-husband (played by Bruce Willis) escalates over a powerful miracle drug that grants the user eternal life.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: From director Robert Zemeckis, Death suits her well is another hilarious black comedy that deals with the concept of death (or more precisely the avoidance of it), which like Beetlejuicewas later adapted into a Broadway musical.
Stream Death Becomes Her on Amazon Prime.
Buy Death Becomes Her on Blu-ray at Amazon.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
The gentle florist Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) discovers that his strange The plant is not from this earth and has an insatiable appetite for human blood.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: Beetlejuice offers one of the most memorable musical moments in a horror film (“Day-O”) and there are many more macabre show tunes in one of the best horror musical films of all time, Little Shop of Horrorsby director Frank Oz.
Buy or rent “Little Shop of Horrors” on Amazon.
Buy Little Shop of Horrors on Blu-ray from Amazon.
The House of Mysterious Clocks (2018)
After discovering that his uncle (played by Jack Black) is a warlock, a recently orphaned boy (played by Owen Vaccaro) begs to be allowed to learn the mystical arts that will later help him find a hidden doomsday device.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: Eli Roth’s adaptation of John Bellair’s novel, The house with the clock in the wallsis a funny, not so scary witch film that, like Beetlejuiceis a great example of entry-level horror for younger viewers.
Buy or rent The House of Mysterious Clocks on Amazon.
Buy The House with a Clock in Its Walls on Blu-ray from Amazon.
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer play three divorced friends who accidentally conjure up their idea of the perfect man (played by Jack Nicholson), who, however, is not quite what he seems.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: George Miller’s adaptation of John Updike’s The Witches of Eastwick is another scary, comedic story about magic, monsters and other things that are not suitable for younger viewers, but serve as a tonal complement with Beetlejuice in many ways.
Buy or rent The Witches of Eastwick on Amazon.
Buy The Witches of Eastwick on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Army of Darkness (1992)
After an encounter with demonic forces, a grocer whose right hand is a chainsaw (played by Bruce Campbell) is accidentally transported to the Middle Ages, where he inadvertently unleashes another malevolent power.
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: Sam Raimi’s most light-hearted evil Dead Film, Army of Darknesscaptivates with a mixture of scary and cartoonish humor, similar to Beetlejuicebut with a lot more fight sequences.
Rent or buy Army of Darkness on Amazon.
Buy Army of Darkness on Blu-ray from Amazon.
The Ghost (1990)
Patrick Swayze plays a murdered yuppie who asks a medium (played by Whoopi Goldberg) for help in contacting his girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore).
Why it’s a great movie if you like Beetlejuice: For those who want to see a more serious story from the perspective of the recently deceased, the Oscar-winning romantic horror film Spirit could be exactly what you are looking for.
Stream Ghost on Amazon Prime.
Stream Ghost on Paramount+.
Buy Ghost on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Fortunately, Beetlejuice Fans don’t have to say these songs three times to listen to them.
