Chiara Burson, Special to The Denisonian —

This review contains spoilers.

Thirty-six years after the cult classic made its debut in theaters, Beetlejuice returns in a sequel that can be best described in one word: insane. 

Thankfully, insane is where Tim Burton shines as a director.

In recent years, we’ve been seeing a lot of classics from the 20th century getting long-awaited sequels, such as “Indiana Jones” or “Top Gun: Maverick.” Sequels like these must be handled very delicately, since they have such a wide fan base spanning several generations. Which is why the only possible way to make this comedy horror flick work was to bring back those who were behind the original. 

Tim Burton’s direction has always shined the most in horror, if the original “Beetlejuice” or Netflix’s “Wednesday” are any indication. In a way, the chaos that he specializes in is fully embodied in the titular character, which is what keeps the viewer grinning throughout nearly the entire film.

Of course, credit must be given to the actors, regardless of whether or not they are new to the Beetlejuice franchise. Michael Keaton hasn’t shown one bit of deterioration in his portrayal of the titular trickster demon, creating one of those rare static characters that doesn’t need to change to make the audience excited to see them. Beetlejuice isn’t someone you necessarily root for, but he is such an iconic character that you just can’t help but smile when someone says his name three times.

The emotional core of this film, however, lies with the Deetz family. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara return as Lydia and Delia Deetz, with “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega being introduced as Lydia’s angst-filled teenage daughter, Astrid. All are grieving the death of Charles Deetz, who was conveniently bitten in half by a shark, assuring that his original actor, sex offender Jeffrey Jones, wouldn’t make an appearance. Lydia has grown up to be the star of a supernatural talk show, becoming estranged from her daughter after her father’s unexpected death and on the verge of remarrying to her self-centered manager. Beetlejuice still regularly haunts Lydia, with Astrid not believing in her ability to see ghosts…that is, until she falls for one. 

Lydia and Astrid’s strained relationship may make up the emotional conflict of the film, but O’Hara is definitely a comedic standout. Her eccentric methods of grief end up leading to her own hilarious death at the hands (or in this case, fangs) of poisonous snakes, and her desperation to reunite with her late husband in the afterlife makes for a priceless B-plot that ties perfectly into the main storyline.

The ending of the film is up to interpretation, but one thing is made crystal clear: regardless of how many times Beetlejuice appears to be gone, he hasn’t given up on his ‘love’ for Lydia. It would be little cause for shock if in a few years, Tim Burton and the cast under him went for one more round with the Beetlejuice franchise.

And undoubtedly, it would be a wild, fun ride.