Sooner or later in life, one becomes acquainted with the fact that Hollywood has been struggling to produce movies that resonate with the population of the United States, so much that Hollywood has become a satire on the internet. This is mostly because of its lack of connection with the consumer and its self-sabotaging tendencies. There is a fine line between creating a movie to “entertain,” as opposed to “lecturing/teaching how an individual should behave.”
There was a slight worry on my behalf about “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” as I am a big fan of the first flick. And, with the aforementioned trends in the film industry, I thought to myself, “It’d be nice if I don’t watch any trailers and avoid using social media,” as I wanted to minimize my contact with the sequel’s spoilers and commentary.
I really wanted to go in with a blank mind, capable of watching a film and appropriately tell you why you should watch or skip it.
One of the key aspects that made the first film stand out was its core components: death, ghosts, tragedy, romance and a character that has a lot of Loki-nian characteristics.
To respect the fact that there may not be a lot of people who have watched the film, I will not touch on the plot. However, I will tell you that this is not your run-of-the-mill remake or sequel. It is actually a legitimate coherent continuation of the first film. The cinematography stays true to the elements of the first. Tim Burton, director of the film, uses a lot of the motifs from the first film to establish a continuation that does not fall flat like a pancake. It actually adds to the world.
Michael Keaton’s performance as the Geuse was heartwarming. The humor and chaotic impromptu rendition in the first film wooed the audience and was equally important to the film as it was in this continuation. It was really surprising to see Jenna Ortega portraying Astrid Deetz, a rebellious teenager who is actually self-aware and conflicted about her apparent “dysfunctional family.” If a character saving her mom’s phone number as “Alleged Mom” doesn’t get a crack out of you or paint a picture as to the kind of turmoil that character is facing, I don’t know what actually does. It felt like a writing lesson on how to show, not tell.
Her character felt like a lens, required to contrast or highlight the absurdity of a lot of woes plaguing our society. Needless to say, it was hilarious and extremely enjoyable seeing how her character is used to mock the fragility of the previous generation, both on and off screen. At some points, the actions paired with the dialogue of the characters felt like “meta-commentary,” but it was so well disguised that it just felt like it was making fun of itself–which really earns a lot of points in my book.
It is difficult to find a film that seems to be aware of how sensitive and divided a nation is. One could be quick to assume the worst about the film if one were to guide themselves off my words alone. But don’t be fooled, the film actually does a great job at uniting different perspectives and finding the middle road–something that would greatly benefit all of us. It is a subverted lesson on different sides finding compromise amid chaos, horror, adventure and romance.
In case you have opted to watch it, I will leave you with a question: Can you see the film operating as both social commentary on our culture as well as a psychoanalytical deconstruction of it?
