Tim Burton is one of the most popular filmmakers of all time – and for good reason. With his own unique aesthetic and masterful use of charming macabre, his movies still stand out. From family-friendly affairs to cult classics, these are the 10 best Tim Burton movies.
10. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Burton’s most recent film is a rarity in his catalog, as he almost never does sequels. Typically, he chooses to move to a new world, story, and characters with each new movie.
While many fans feared Beetlejuice Beetlejuice could have been a soulless cash grab – myself included – this legacy sequel is a shockingly good time. Sure, the territory is well explored and has perhaps had an excessive presence in pop culture in the decades since the original came out. However, what Beetlejuice 2 lacks in originality, it makes up for in charm.
This second go-around features the return of most of the classic film’s characters, with Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder being absolute standouts yet again. Newcomers bring lots to love as well, with Jenna Ortega as the lovable but often difficult daughter of Lydia and Willem Dafoe being an absolute blast as a has-been actor turned undead homicide cop. All-in-all, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ended up being a fairly predictable but charming return to the world of the original.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters and on premium VOD.
9. Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks was once considered a rare misstep in Burton’s filmography. The film was inspired by an abandoned line of Topps trading cards decades prior, deemed too violent and sexual for the market at the time. However, these elements ended up making the film a hilariously campy cult classic.
Mars Attacks is an over-the-top movie that parodies horror B-movies, as well as massive action blockbusters. The look and language of the attacking Martians are decidedly absurd and contrast well with a massive cast of then and would-be A-listers. Mars Attacks features an impressive roster, including Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jack Black, Glenn Close, Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, Natalie Portman, Martin Short, and Tom Jones.
Mars Attacks! is streaming free on Pluto TV.
8. Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow, released in 1999, is an excellent retelling of the classic horror story from the 1800s. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, who is sent to investigate a trio of decapitations in a village North of New York City. These are, of course, crimes perpetrated by the Headless Horseman, who is still a somewhat unsettling villain.
While Sleepy Hollow features a classic story and a great cast featuring Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, and Christopher Walken, what truly makes the movie stand out is how it is just absolutely oozing with atmosphere. From the set design and costumes to the greyish-blue cinematography and incredible blaring score by Danny Elfman, Sleepy Hollow is a terrifically spooky place to visit.
Sleepy Hollow is streaming now on AMC+ and Paramount+.
7. Batman
When you think about it in a historical context, Batman is an oddity and a miracle. For the director’s third feature film, Burton was given the keys to Gotham City. Superhero movies were nowhere near the juggernaut that they are now, and this iconic film plays a big part in giving the genre its start.
With his version of DC’s Caped Crusader, Burton’s Batman stuns with an incredible, moody aesthetic, depicting Gotham as comically surreal but with just enough grit to feel believable. Michael Keaton does a great job portraying both sides of the character, and his best superhero moments are made even more iconic by Danny Elfman’s incredible soaring score.
Sure, aspects of Batman are dated. However, they’re endearing at this point. Just look at Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Unlike the version from The Dark Knight or Joaquin Phoenix’s layered portrayal in the two Joker films, this Joker is a delightfully hammy mobster. Once he’s disfigured after falling into a vat of acid, Nicholson’s Joker is an absurd, one-liner-cracking wise guy. This is highlighted in the scene where he and his henchmen dance to Prince while vandalizing pieces in an art museum.
Batman is streaming now on Max.
6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Yet another moody period piece, Sweeney Todd is a musical depicting a murderous barber who kills customers with his razor. As the premise suggests and fans of the Broadway show will know, what follows is a surprisingly R-rated delight with all sorts of violence and other morbid themes.
Sweeney Todd has some great songs, excellent if off-putting performances from its leading man and actress Helena Bonham Carter, and an excellent villain in Alan Rickman’s Judge Turpin. As is the case with most other Burton movies, the film is just as much of a joy to look at as its songs are to listen to.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is streaming now on Paramount+ with Showtime.
5. Corpse Bride
One of the things Burton is most famous for is his involvement in spooky stop-motion movies. Corpse Bride is certainly among his best. This fantasy-musical film is inspired by an old folktale where a young man accidentally marries a dead woman who takes him to the underworld.
It makes for a delightfully odd romance with a spooky aesthetic. Victor, the young man in the film’s leading couple, hails from a mopey Victorian town. The location makes for a semi-familiar setting in Burton’s body of work, but it is the underworld that truly makes this movie special. Unlike the dead-looking world Victor comes from, Emily’s underworld is absolutely beautiful. It is a vibrant, colorful, whimsically surreal place that is such a delight to see on-screen.
The romance between the two characters makes for some really interesting and surprisingly emotional drama, as Victor and Emily struggle with coming from quite literally two different worlds. It’s the ultimate star-crossed lovers scenario, performed by Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp. The odd love story is given even more life by an expectedly great score from Danny Elfman.
Corpse Bride is streaming now on Max.
4. Beetlejuice
Now is when the choosing gets hard, as the rest of our list of the best Tim Burton movies is compromised of absolute classics. Beetlejuice is no exception. This legendary staple of Halloween follows a recently deceased New England couple who are trapped in their home as a new family moves in. They enlist the help of the titular character, hilariously brought to life (pun intended) by Michael Keaton.
Beetlejuice has all the heart you’d want out of a family-friendly classic, but its spooky aesthetic and crass humor are what make it stand out. The comedy is a delight, as is the performance by Winona Ryder, which made her into a household name. She played Lydia Deetz, the goth teenager of the new blended family who moves into the recently deceased’s home. Ryder has some great moments as she interacts with the ghost couple and becomes the creepy infatuation of Beetlejuice.
Beetlejuice is streaming now on Max.
3. The Nightmare Before Christmas
This is a film that needs no introduction. Despite not being directed by Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas is an absolute pop-culture phenomenon. Of course, effective holiday movies tend to stay relevant as they lend themselves to multiple – and perhaps annual – rewatches. What makes The Nightmare Before Christmas so wonderful is how it transitions from Halloween to the holiday season, seeing the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown become obsessed with Christmas and committed to spreading its cheer.
What follows is an absurdist look at the contradiction between the two seasons, with some incredible and memorable locales, characters, and musical numbers. The romance of Jack and Sally is also a major part of what makes the movie special, with the two being so easy to root for.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is streaming now on Disney+
2. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
Even though Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is Burton’s feature-length debut, it is still the most out there the filmmaker has ever gotten. The concept of a full-length Pee-wee Herman road trip movie is absurd in and of itself, but Burton absolutely commits to the bit and makes it a wild ride.
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure centers around the titular character embarking on an absurdist road trip to get his special bicycle back. While the movie is absolutely hilarious and has some great situational humor – Tequila, anybody? – there’s something oddly uncomfortable about it as well. Watching Paul Ruebens’ ridiculous man-child of a character leave the comfort of his crazy contraption-filled home and go out into the “real world” is kind of overwhelming and scary. Much of this is due to Danny Elfman’s explosive score, which feels like something out of a demented circus, especially in moments like the Breakfast Machine scene.
However, everything ultimately works out for Pee-wee, and the movie is filled with a grand sense of adventure. There’s a hysterical but semi-sweet romance, self-aware cheesy prop comedy, and all sorts of moments that make Pee-wee’s Big Adventure a surreal cult classic.
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is available to rent on several platforms.
1. Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands is perhaps the most character-driven story of any of Burton’s movies, so it’s no surprise that frequent collaborator Johnny Depp was recruited for the titular role. The story follows a sweet young man who is created by an older master, played by Vincent Price in his final film appearance. When tragedy befalls his master, leaving him stuck with blades for hands, Edward isolates himself in his castle on a hill.
At the foot of the hill sits an idyllic suburban town. It is almost Dr. Seuss-esque in its bright pastel colors and cookie-cutter homes. A woman from the town discovers Edward Scissorhands and takes him into their home, much to the dismay of her daughter Kim. She (Winona Ryder) is at first terrified of Edward but soon learns what a kind person he is under the surface.
The film is a really interesting look at what happens when an outsider makes his way into a small town. There are middle-aged women who lust after him, dads who want him at their cookout, and children who are terrified of him. Where Edward Scissorhands does or doesn’t fit into the town and the lives of its community poses some of the most interesting questions Burton’s work has ever asked. By the story’s conclusion, viewers are likely to laugh and be moved to tears, thanks in no small part to Danny Elfman’s hauntingly beautiful score in his best work to date.
Edward Scissorhands is streaming now on Hulu and Disney+.
And those are the 10 best Tim Burton movies, ranked.
Published: Oct 17, 2024 08:10 am