Without a doubt, the horror/comedy sub-genre has provided a slew of classics over the years that understandably become revitalized during the spooky season. And while more-modern films within the umbrella are recognized in Shaun of the Dead and Happy Death Day, the incomparable classics are simply untouchable when it comes to presenting a healthy mix between genuine fear and tear-jerking silliness. In that regard, it would be hard to ignore that the movie which generated such balance the best is 1988’s Beetlejuice.
Directed by gifted auteur Tim Burton, the hit fantasy classic stars Michael Keaton in the titular role as Betelgeuse — a devious, ghoulie prankster who considers himself to be a “bio-exorcist” spirit from an alternative universe. Throughout the movie, Betelgeuse uses a plethora of scare tactics and tricks in order to scare two new ghosts away from a house. In reality, the two ghosts are actually a former husband and wife who died in an accident and wish to remain in their house.
Like many of Burton’s other projects, Beetlejuice went on to become both a commercial and critical success, which is proudly highlighted through its Rotten Tomatoes score of both 85 percent from critics and 82 percent from audiences. Upon its release, the film has maintained its credibility as a cult classic and has been described as a “brilliantly bizarre” contribution to the horror/comedy catalog.
With spooky season now in full effect, eagle-eyed HBO Max subscribers have taken the opportunity to add the unforgettable extravaganza to their Halloween watch lists. As per FlixPatrol, Beetlejuice has skyrocketed on streaming, happily spooking up the charts along the way as it cracked into HBO’s Top-30 and locked in as the platform’s most-watched films as of late.
To this day, Beetlejuice has proved to be so successful amongst horror fans that the demand for a sequel remains a powerful campaign that, much like its main character, just won’t seem to truly die.
