I could say there are no other movies like Beetlejuice but that would not be entirely true. Tim Burton's 1988 horror-comedy movie does, indeed, boast a wonderfully unique concept, astonishing production design, and a scene-stealing performance unlike any other by Michael Keaton as the titular bio-exorcist.
However, there are plenty of other classic horror movies and more recent freaky favorites that tackle supernatural elements in a similarly surreal and cartoonish way. With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hitting theaters, I am getting in the mood to turn on the juice and see what else shakes loose by watching flicks that remind me of why I adore the original Beetlejuice so much.
The Frighteners (1996)
Michael J. Fox plays a medium who enlists real ghosts to help him stage fake hauntings but is forced to use his ability to stop an evil presence from terrorizing his small town.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: Fox's character in the zany paranormal dramedy, The Frighteners — one of Peter Jackson's most underrated movies — runs a scheme that is somewhat similar to Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland's (Geena Davis) goal to scare the Deetzes out of their home using their ghostly abilities.
Stream The Frighteners on Peacock.
Stream The Frighteners on Tubi.
Buy or rent The Frighteners on Amazon.
Buy The Frighteners on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Little Monsters (1989)
A young man (played by Fred Savage) discovers there is an actual grotesque creature (played by Howie Mandel) living under his bed and strikes up an unlikely friendship with it.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: With the cult favorite Little Monsters, here we have another comedy featuring a goofy and mischievous (but, in this case, friendly) creature and a glimpse into a place beyond our world that bears 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 on Amazon.
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
Bill S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) must figure out how to get brought back to life after they are murdered by mechanical duplicates of themselves.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: The second installment of the Bill & Ted movies, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, is, like Beetlejuice, an adventure from the perspective of two recently deceased protagonists who experience a depiction of the afterlife that is equally horrifying and hilarious.
Stream Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey on Max.
Buy or rent Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey on Amazon.
Buy Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), the King of Halloween, becomes intrigued by a different holiday and engages in a horribly misguided attempt to bring it to his spooky world.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: The one "Tim Burton movie" that best resembles the surreal aesthetic from Beetlejuice might be the classic Christmas horror movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas — director Henry Selick's stop animation masterpiece which Burton produced and wrote the story for.
Stream The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+.
Buy or rent The Nightmare Before Christmas on Amazon.
Buy The Nightmare Before Christmas on Blu-ray on 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 is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: From director Robert Zemeckis, Death Becomes Her is another uproarious dark comedy dealing with the concept of death (or avoiding it, more accurately) that, like Beetlejuice, was later adapted into a Broadway musical.
Stream Death Becomes Her on Amazon Prime.
Buy Death Becomes Her on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)
Mild-mannered florist Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) discovers that his weird plant is not of this Earth and has an insatiable taste for human blood.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: Beetlejuice boasts one of the most memorable musical moments in a horror movie ("Day-O") and there are plenty more macabre show tunes to witness in one of the all-time best horror comedy musical movies, Little Shop of Horrors, from director Frank Oz.
Buy or rent Little Shop of Horrors on Amazon.
Buy Little Shop of Horrors on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The House With A Clock In Its Walls (2018)
After discovering that his uncle (played by Jack Black) is a warlock, a recently orphaned boy (played by Owen Vaccaro) begs to learn the mystic arts, which he later uses to help him find a hidden doomsday device.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: Eli Roth's adaptation of John Bellairs’ novel, The House with a Clock in its Walls, is a funny, not-so-scary witch movie that, like Beetlejuice, serves as a great example of entry horror for younger viewers.
Buy or rent The House with a Clock in Its Walls on Amazon.
Buy The House with a Clock in Its Walls on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Witches Of Eastwick (1987)
Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer star as three divorced friends who accidentally conjure their idea of the perfect man (played by Jack Nicholson) but he is not quite what he seems.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: George Miller's adaptation of John Updike's The Witches of Eastwick is another spooky, comedic story about magic, monsters, and other things that are not suitable for younger viewers but do serve as a tonal match with Beetlejuice in many ways.
Stream The Witches of Eastwick on Tubi.
Buy or rent The Witches of Eastwick on Amazon.
Buy The Witches of Eastwick on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Army Of Darkness (1992)
After a run-in with demonic forces, a grocery store employee with a chainsaw for a right hand (played by Bruce Campbell) is accidentally transported to the Middle Ages where he accidentally unleashes another malevolent force.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: Sam Raimi's most lighthearted Evil Dead movie, Army of Darkness, boasts a blend of ghoulish and cartoonish whimsy similar to Beetlejuice but with a lot more battle sequences.
Stream Army of Darkness on Amazon Prime.
Buy Army of Darkness on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Ghost (1990)
Patrick Swayze stars as a murdered yuppie who enlists a medium (played by Whoopi Goldberg) to help him reach out to his girlfriend, Molly (Demi Moore).
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: For anyone interested in watching a more earnest tale from the point of view of the recently deceased, the Academy Award-winning romantic horror movie Ghost might be exactly what you are looking for.
Stream Ghost on Paramount+.
Rent or buy Ghost on Amazon.
Buy Ghost on Blu-ray on Amazon.
It is nice to know that Beetlejuice fans can find these other great movies on some of the best streaming services to subscribe to today. However, we almost wish it was as simple as saying the titles three times.
