Saying Beetlejuice [1] three times won't magically summon a sequel to the classic Tim Burton movie (trust us, we've tried), but it will remind you of just how delightfully weird the horror-comedy is. Michael Keaton gave the role of the troublemaking spirit 110 percent, and his performance — coupled with the hilarious story of a deceased couple trying to protect their home from beyond the grave — gives the story both its dark sense of humour and Gothic edge. For that reason, finding movies like Beetlejuice [2] can be tricky. Burton aside, not many directors can combine comedy and horror so effectively. However, the movies on this list will give you Beetlejuice vibes [3], either in style or in their irreverent approach to serving up scares.
The Addams Family (2019)
The animated version of The Addams Family is a fun, family-friendly horror movie with the same Gothic flair Beetlejuice possesses. In the movie, the family are busy prepping for a visit from their relatives (who are even spookier than they are) when a woman named Margaux Needler concocts a plan to force the family out of their creepy mansion so she can sell every house on the street.
Watch The Addams Family on Netflix. [4]
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Directed by Burton, Edward Scissorhands is the story of a teenaged orphan with literal scissors for hands. This big-hearted story follows Edward as he tries to fit into the ordinary world, only to be rejected by everyone except for a loving realtor named Peg (Dianne Wiest) and her family, including her teen daughter, Kim (Wynona Ryder).
Watch Edward Scissorhands on Disney Plus. [5]
House (1985)
If you love the special effects and general weirdness of Beetlejuice, then the underrated House might be the movie for you. When a Vietnam War vet tries his hand at becoming a horror novelist, he moves back into his childhood home, which just so happens to be full of grouchy (and sometimes gross) spirits.
Watch House on Amazon Prime Video. [6]
Labyrinth (1986)
There aren't a lot of laughs in Labyrinth, but this stylish fantasy film is full of rock-and-roll touches thanks in no small part to David Bowie's spectacular performance as a goblin king. Most of the movie takes place in a maze full of dangers, which a teen girl must navigate if she wants to retrieve her baby brother from the goblin king before it's too late — and yes, it is as spooky as it sounds.
Watch Labyrinth on Netflix. [7]
Little Monsters (1989)
Little Monsters is Beetlejuice's sillier little brother. It doesn't revolve around the afterlife but rather the secret world where all of the monsters who live under children's beds live. After a young boy named Ben befriends the monster under his bed, he's whisked away to his monstrous new pal's strange world every night. And while it's fun at first, he quickly realises not all of the monsters are as welcoming as his friend.
Watch Little Monsters on Sky Cinema [8] or or Amazon Prime Video [9].
Mars Attacks! (1996)
Another Burton classic, Mars Attacks! is a funny, gory, and utterly bonkers film about what might happen if Martians decided to take over Earth. At first, the people of Earth believe the Martians have come in peace, but in truth, the aliens are on a mission to take control of the planet, whether the humans accept them as their new overlords or not.
Watch Mars Attacks! on Amazon Prime Video. [10]
Monster House (2006)
Haunted-house movies are always a good time, but Monster House is one of the rare movies where the house itself appears to be alive. Unfortunately, this causes major trouble for the boy who lives across the street. He and his friends become determined to prove the house is actually a monster before it starts consuming trick-or-treaters.
Watch Monster House on Netflix. [11]
The Monster Squad (1987)
In this '80s classic, Dracula, the Mummy, the Gill Man, and Frankenstein's Monster all descend on a small town that happens to be home to a group of tweens who love monster movies. However, meeting their idols proves to be a bad idea when it turns out the villains are after an amulet that'll give them the power to control the world.
Watch The Monster Squad on Amazon Prime Video. [12]
ParaNorman (2012)
In ParaNorman, a boy named Norman possesses the ability to talk to the dead. Although his gift has led to his classmates labelling him weird, he becomes the town's only hope for survival when an ancient curse leads to a zombie uprising.
Watch ParaNorman on Amazon Prime Video. [13]
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a certified cult classic thanks to its campy humour, incredible musical numbers, and stylish costumes. Even if you don't know all of the songs by heart, it's hard to resist humming along as you watch a pair of newlyweds stumble upon Dr. Frank-N-Furter's fabulously ghoulish mansion.
Watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Amazon Prime Video [14] or on Sky Cinema [15] after 28 Oct.
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Monsters prove to be real in The Spiderwick Chronicles, a family film about a troublemaking young boy who discovers all manner of supernatural creatures on the estate of his family's new home. At first, Jared's brother, sister, and mother all blame him for the weirdness that occurs at the house, but it's not long before they realise there's more to their new abode than first meets the eye.
Watch The Spiderwick Chronicles on Amazon Prime Video. [16]
Young Frankenstein (1974)
If your favourite thing about Beetlejuice is the way it combines scary-movie tropes with a wicked sense of humour, then you absolutely must watch Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein. When he inherits his famed grandfather's estate in Transylvania, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein moves in and quickly creates a monster of his very own. As you can imagine, things get pretty silly (in a good way) from there.
Watch Young Frankenstein on Chili. [17]