Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros.
This article contains massive spoilers for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
1988’s “Beetlejuice” is a singular work of cinema, a gonzo alt-comedy supernatural satire that takes a look at death, the afterlife, and the ghost movie in a way that’s completely unique unto itself. It’s one of those films that contains a ton of imagination and some unique world-building, so it’s no surprise that there’s been a desire to explore that world further during the 36 years since the movie’s release. Yet, despite a successful children’s animated series and a hit Broadway musical, “Beetlejuice” is not a franchise that’s been bled dry.
Thus, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the long-awaited follow-up from original director Tim Burton, is much more of a personal sequel as opposed to a franchise-building installment or even a too-reverential legacy sequel. This is not a film intended to reboot an IP so much as it’s an artist revisiting his old stomping grounds. Burton himself has said as much, for at a press event attended by /Film’s Jacob Hall, he was quoted as saying, “We just wanted to kind of not think about sequel or anything, just go and just make the movie.” This is an energy that Burton has brought to the world of franchises before. While the filmmaker has been involved with a few handfuls of remakes and reimaginings of established stories, his only direct sequel before this one was 1992’s “Batman Returns,” which took a similar tack of sailing its own course.
Despite “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” having its own distinct sense of humor and identity, it still carries forward one key aspect of the original film. It uses its story, characters, and wit to make social commentary, and the main theme of this sequel concerns exploitation: of people, of artists, of life … and, of course, of the afterlife.
The Deetz’s find love in Winter River
Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros.
Back in Winter River, no sooner is Charles laid to rest (with a gravestone in the shape of a shark’s fin, naturally) before Rory seizes his opportunity to tie the knot with Lydia, awkwardly proposing to her in the middle of the funeral in front of dozens of guests. Rory emotionally manipulates Lydia into tacitly agreeing to marry him, announcing immediately afterward that they’ll be married by the local pastor who performed the funeral services, Father Damien (Burn Gorman) on Halloween night … two days away.
Seeing Astrid become increasingly annoyed and distant, Lydia reaches out, attempting to reconnect with her daughter. She makes some headway when Astrid finds some of her father’s old stuff in a box in the attic, along with the Maitland’s old model of the entire town (and, just to tie a bow on their story, Lydia explains how the Maitland’s “found a loophole” in their sentence of remaining on Earth for 125 years and were able to move on). However, Lydia is disturbed to discover a flyer for Beetlejuice lying around, indicating that he’s still got power over the Maitland’s model town. While attempting to explain Beetlejuice to Astrid, the girl, who refuses to believe in the supernatural, runs away. Astrid soon finds herself literally crashing into the backyard of a boy named Jeremy (Arthur Conti), who, like Astrid, is a fan of vintage music and Dostoyevsky. The two make a plan to see each other before Lydia’s wedding on Halloween night.
Back at the Deetz home, Lydia finds herself unable to explain Beetlejuice to a disbelieving Rory, who unfortunately chants the demon’s name three times, sending them into the model and into Beetlejuice’s clutches. Beetlejuice plays the part of a couple’s counselor for the pair, scaring Rory speechless and beginning his pursuit of Lydia anew. His illusions include making Lydia spontaneously birth a little Baby Beetlejuice, and as the monstrous kid begins to gnaw on her leg, Lydia chants “Home! Home! Home!” and frees herself and Rory from the demon … for now.
Astrid and the murderer next door
The Deetz’s are not out of danger yet. Lydia drops Astrid off at her date with Jeremy before heading back to handle the matter of preparing to put the Maitland house back on the market with legacy real estate agent Jane Butterfield (Amy Nuttall). When Lydia mentions where she dropped off Astrid, Jane lets it slip that the house was once owned by a family who was murdered by their own son, Jeremy, before he was accidentally killed during his apprehension by the cops 23 years ago. Putting two and two together, Lydia races to warn her daughter, but it’s too late. Jeremy has already put the moves on Astrid, wooing her with his sensitive boy charm and explaining how she could chant a spell from the Handbook for the Recently Deceased in order to cross over to the Afterlife to see her father.
Astrid does so, but little does she realize that Jeremy is actually getting her to enact a transaction wherein she’ll willingly give up her mortal life to allow him to fully return to the real world. Discovering that this transaction requires a few bureaucratic steps to be complete, Lydia calls on Beetlejuice for help, and he agrees on one condition: that Lydia sign a contract (in blood, naturally) to marry him after he helps save Astrid. Lydia agrees, and she and Beetlejuice scour The Afterlife before Astrid can be put on the Soul Train to the Great Beyond.
