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. Since Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hit theaters, I have been 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)
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado
What it's about: A medium who enlists real ghosts to help him stage fake hauntings must 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.
Little Monsters (1989)
Director: Richard Greenberg
Starring: Fred Savage, Howie Mandel
What it's about: A boy discovers there is an actual grotesque creature living under his bed and strikes up an unlikely friendship with him.
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 Amazon Prime
- Stream Little Monsters on Pluto TV
- Buy Little Monsters on Blu-ray on Amazon
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
Director: Peter Hewitt
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, William Saldler
What it's about: Bill S. Preston Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan 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.
How to watch Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
- 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)
Director: Henry Selick
Starring: Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara
What it's about: Jack Skellington, 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 — a stop animation masterpiece which Burton produced and wrote the story for.
How to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas
- 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)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis
What it's about: A rivalry between a writer and the actor who stole her ex-husband escalates over a powerful miracle drug that grants the user eternal life.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: 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.
How to watch Death Becomes Her
Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)
Director: Frank Oz
Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene
What it's about: Mild-mannered florist Seymour Krelborn 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, which is based on a Broadway show inspired by a Roger Croman film.
How to watch Little Shop of Horrors
The House With A Clock In Its Walls (2018)
Director: Eli Roth
Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro
What it's about: After discovering that his uncle is a warlock, a recently orphaned boy 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: Based on 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.
How to watch The House with a Clock In Its Walls
- 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)
Director: George Miller
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer
What it's about: Three divorced friends accidentally conjure their idea of the perfect man but he is not quite what he seems.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: Based on John Updike's novel, 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.
How to watch The Witches of Eastwick
Army Of Darkness (1992)
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz
What it's about: After a run-in with demonic forces, a grocery store employee with a chainsaw for a right hand is transported to the Middle Ages where he accidentally unleashes another malevolent force.
Why it is a great movie to watch if you like Beetlejuice: The most lighthearted Evil Dead movie, Army of Darkness, boasts a blend of ghoulish and cartoonish whimsy similar to Beetlejuice but with far more battle sequences.
Ghost (1990)
Director: Jerry Zucker
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg
What it's about: A murdered yuppie enlists a medium to help him reach out to his girlfriend.
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+
- Stream Ghost on Pluto TV
- 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.
