Beetlejuice

Critics Consensus

Brilliantly bizarre and overflowing with ideas, Beetlejuice offers some of Michael Keaton's most deliciously manic work - and creepy, funny fun for the whole family.

84%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 56

82%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 916,572
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Movie Info

Thanks to the carelessness of a cute little dog, newlyweds Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are killed in a freak auto accident. Upon arriving in the outer offices of Heaven, the couple finds that, thanks to a century's worth of bureaucratic red tape, they're on a long celestial waiting list. Before they can earn their wings, Davis and Baldwin must occupy their old house as ghosts for the next fifty years. Alas, the house is now owned by insufferable yuppies Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones. Horrified at the prospect of sharing space with these obnoxious interlopers, Davis and Baldwin do their best to scare O'Hara and Jones away, but their house-haunting skills are pathetic at best. In desperation, the ghostly couple engage the services of a veteran scaremeister: a yellow-haired, snaggle-toothed, profane, flatulent "gonzo" spirit named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). The problem: Beetlejuice cannot be trusted-especially when he falls in love with O'Hara and Jones' gloomy, black-clad teenaged daughter Winona Ryder. Beetlejuice producer David Geffen, director Tim Burton, and composer Danny Elfman were also involved in an animated TV-series spin-off. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Cast

Michael Keaton
as Beetlejuice
Alec Baldwin
as Adam
Geena Davis
as Barbara
Jeffrey Jones
as Charles
Catherine O'Hara
as Delia
Winona Ryder
as Lydia
Glenn Shadix
as Otho
Jack Angel
as Preacher
Sylvia Sidney
as Juno
Patrice Martinez
as Receptionist
Robert Goulet
as Maxie Dean
Dick Cavett
as Bernard
Annie McEnroe
as Jane Butterfield
Simmy Bow
as Janitor
Maurice Page
as Ernie
Susan Kellerman
Rachel Mittelman
as Little Jane
Hugo L. Stanger
as Old Bill
Cynthia Daly
as Three-fingered Typist
Douglas Turner
as Char Man
Carmen Filpi
as Messenger
Susan Kellermann
as Grace
Adelle Lutz
as Beryl
Patrice Camhi
as Receptionist
Marie Cheatham
as Sarah Dean
Tony Cox
as Preacher
Harold Goodman
as Old Bill #2
Maree Cheatham
J. Jay Saunders
as Moving Man #1
Mark Ettlinger
as Moving Man #2
Gary Jochimsen
as Dumb Football Player
Bob Pettersen
as Dumb Football Player #2
Adele Lutz
Duane Davis
as Very Dumb Football Player
J.J. Saunders
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Critic Reviews for Beetlejuice

All Critics (56) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (9)

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Audience Reviews for Beetlejuice

  • Oct 06, 2016
    Beetlejuice is peculiar yet fascinating. The film's infectious laughter, obscure thrills and sensational performance from Michael Keaton upholds to this day; making this bizarre piece of entertainment one of Tim Burton's best, if not, the best directorial effort. 4.5/5
    Eugene B Super Reviewer
  • Aug 15, 2016
    Beetlejuice is mostly a product of the 1980's, but there's something about Tim Burton's flare for the absolute absurd supernatural that gives this film an incomparable likability. Burton teamed up with his early career favorite Michael Keaton for the title character, and in turn created what is perhaps one of the most iconic performances of all time. Beetlejuice has Burton's prints all over it on its own, but with Keaton's performance, it's classic Burton. With that said, I don't know that the film survives if you aren't keen on the overbearing style of Burton. I like his movies as much as the next guy (Big Fish is in my top 5 favorite films of all time), but besides Keaton, there isn't a whole lot to ride home about here. Beetlejuice has had fans clamoring for a sequel for decades, and I'm not going to be the one to shut those hopes down. With the talented cast, especially where they all are in their careers now, a sequel could be interesting. But I never found Geena Davis or Alec Baldwin's characters to be all that interesting. As they weave their way through the weirdness of the world of death, the film just veers more into a meandering area. With all the dated elements to Burton's execution, the real gems of this film come from his unique vision. If you were to walk in on this film at any particular moment, you would be able to tell that it's a Burton project, and there's something special about that. I can appreciate a unique vision, but I just wanted more of an overarching journey than a collage of creepy and just strange sequences. +Burton's style +Keaton's iconic performance -Hodgepodge of strange scenes -Supporting characters aren't that interesting 6.6/10
    Thomas D Super Reviewer
  • Aug 16, 2015
    Represents the kind of films I wish Burton made more often. It's got great, cartoonish visuals but they don't overshadow the dark humor or eccentric plot.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Nov 29, 2012
    Michael Keaton is a raucous and hilarious precursor to Johnny Depp's drunken gay pirate. However, the story of ghosts trying to exorcise the living is top-heavy, taking too long to start, and the zany parts, while visually stylistic, don't really push the narrative along - the dinner dance, Beetlejuice marrying Lydia.
    Alice S Super Reviewer
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