A “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” Revisit (In Remembrance - Catherine O’Hara)

For my final review of my small In Remembrance slate, I wanted to focus on the talented Catherine O’Hara. There are quite a few selections that I could’ve picked for this review that showed how talented the late actress was and might even check one or two out down the road. For this review, I took another look at the recent Tim Burton sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, which also ended up being O’Hara’s final theatrical appearance. And fair warning: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS INVOLVED IN THIS REVIEW!

After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened.

With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very brand of mayhem.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a fun, nostalgic, and visually creative sequel that does a successful job honoring the 1988 original. While some of the story feels a little overstuffed at times, it’s still great to see Keaton return as the “ghost with the most” and see the return of Burton’s signature dark, whimsical style.

While it was great to see Keaton return to another one of his iconic roles (don’t forget he returned as Batman in “The Flash”), I still couldn’t believe that Burton was able to get one of the best actors out there, Willem Dafoe, as a method actor in the afterlife and all of his scenes still stand out. There’s the musical number towards the end that goes to a cover of “MacArthur Park” by Richard Harris that’s a little similar to the iconic “Day-O” sequence (that’s still fun to watch) that is really entertaining and, of course, the scene-stealing shrunken head Bob.

Catherine O’Hara’s return as Delia Deetz is easily one of the sequel’s brightest highlights. Critics and audiences alike praised her performance for its comedic timing and how she remained consistent with the eccentric energy of the original while adding new layers.

The character’s overly dramatic “visual explorations of grief,” including guttural screaming and shrouding the house in black veils, are easily standout moments. The sequel actually gave O’Hara’s character more development as she shows more depth through a softened - though still competitive - relationship with Lydia and Astrid. And, sorry Bob (the shrunken head character), O’Hara is the true scene-stealer of this sequel.

FINAL SPOILER WARNING! Delia actually dies in a comedic mishap involving snakes and reunites with her recently deceased husband at the soul train station to depart for the afterlife together. With her passing, this scene is no longer just a fittingly strange “Beetlejuice” ending. It can now play as an unintentional, final cinematic goodbye to O’Hara.

Delia’s final moments are almost like most of O’Hara’s roles - neurotic, theatrical, yet loving. Knowing that this was her last outing in such an iconic role really heightens the loss, making her unique performance more cherished. Catherine O’Hara brought heart and humor to Delia Deetz, ensuring her final scene in the “Beetlejuice” universe is both a hilarious and heartfelt end to her character’s journey.

MPA: Rated PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use  (runtime 105 minutes)

Initial release date: September 6, 2024

Streaming services: HBO Max/various PVOD services

Catherine O’Hara (March 4, 1954 - January 30, 2026)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As-vKW4ZboU