TL;DR
If your kid is suddenly wearing black-and-white stripes or humming "Day-O" at the dinner table, don't panic. The 80s ghost-with-the-most is back, fueled largely by the "Jenna Ortega effect" and a massive TikTok resurgence. While the original Beetlejuice movie is a cult classic, the new sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, is the reason it’s trending in 2026. It’s macabre, it’s weird, and it’s definitely PG-13.
Quick Links for the "Juice" Obsessed:
- The Gateway Drug: Wednesday (Netflix)
- The Original: Beetlejuice (1988)
- The New Era: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
- The Musical: Beetlejuice: The Musical Cast Recording
- For Younger Kids: Beetlejuice: The Animated Series
If you missed the 80s or blocked them out, here’s the refresher: Beetlejuice is the brainchild of Tim Burton. It’s about a recently deceased couple who try to haunt the new, obnoxious inhabitants of their home. When they fail at being scary, they call upon "Beetlejuice," a "bio-exorcist" demon who is essentially a chaotic, lecherous, and gross trickster.
The franchise is built on "spooky-funny" vibes. It’s not a slasher flick, and it’s not The Exorcist. It’s more like a fever dream involving shrunken heads, sandworms, and Harry Belafonte music. The 2024 sequel brings back the original cast (Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder) but adds Jenna Ortega, which is why your middle schooler suddenly knows who Lydia Deetz is.
Let's be real: most kids under 15 wouldn't care about a 40-year-old movie if it weren't for Wednesday Addams. Jenna Ortega has become the reigning queen of the "Goth-lite" aesthetic. Her role as Astrid Deetz in the new movie creates a direct bridge from the Wednesday show to the Burton-verse.
Beyond the star power, there’s the TikTok element. The Beetlejuice Musical went viral years ago with songs like "Say My Name" and "The Whole Being Dead Thing." Gen Alpha and Gen Z have been using these tracks for makeup transitions, cosplay, and POV skits for a while. The new movie just poured gasoline on that fire.
Ask our chatbot about why Jenna Ortega is so popular with Gen Alpha
The original is rated PG, but I’m calling BS on that rating by today’s standards. This is a "1980s PG," which means there’s a stray F-bomb, some very suggestive jokes about a "brothel" in the afterlife, and Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice is significantly more "pervy" than he is in the sequel.
- Verdict: Great for ages 11+, but be ready for some "Wait, did he just say that?" moments.
This one is officially PG-13. It leans harder into the "gross-out" humor—think detached limbs, baby Beetlejuices that look like something out of a nightmare, and some mild gore. However, it feels more "modern" and less "creepy old man" than the first one. It deals with themes of grief, mother-daughter relationships, and social media obsession.
- Verdict: Perfect for the 12-14 crowd who loved Wednesday.
If you have a 7 or 8-year-old who wants in on the hype but isn't ready for the live-action stuff, this 90s cartoon is the way to go. In the show, Beetlejuice and Lydia are actually best friends who go on wacky adventures in the "Neitherworld." It’s much more "Scooby-Doo" and much less "demon trying to force a child into marriage."
- Verdict: Ages 7+. Safe, fun, and weird.
The soundtrack is a massive hit on Spotify. Warning: the lyrics are very edgy. There are jokes about suicide, drugs, and a lot of sexual innuendo. If your kid is blasting the cast recording, they are hearing much more "adult" content than what's in the movies.
- Verdict: Listen with them first. It’s hilarious, but definitely "PG-13 plus."
When it comes to the "Juice," the concern isn't usually "will they be traumatized?"—it's more "is this too crude?"
- Ages 5-9: Stick to the Animated Series. The live-action movies have some body horror (people with flattened heads, snakes with human faces) that can trigger night terrors for the younger set.
- Ages 10-12: This is the prime demographic. They’ll find the "scary" stuff funny and the "gross" stuff cool. If they’ve played Roblox or seen Skibidi Toilet, their "weirdness" threshold is already pretty high.
- Ages 13+: They’ve probably already seen the TikToks. The movies are a total green light here, though you might want to talk about the "dark humor" aspect.
Beetlejuice isn't just a movie; it’s an ecosystem. Here’s where your kids are interacting with it online:
- TikTok and Reels: The "Beetlejuice Trend" usually involves elaborate makeup transformations. It's creative and mostly harmless. However, searching "Beetlejuice" can lead to some fan-made "shipping" content (pairing characters together) that can get weirdly mature.
- Roblox: There are dozens of unofficial Beetlejuice experiences on the platform. Most are "Obbys" (obstacle courses) or "Roleplay" rooms. As always with Roblox, the risk isn't the game itself, but the unmoderated chat with other players.
- YouTube: You’ll find "Behind the Scenes" clips and "Easter Egg" videos. These are generally fine, but the YouTube algorithm might start serving up more intense horror content (like Five Nights at Freddy's) once it knows your kid likes "spooky" stuff.
Beetlejuice is a great entry point for talking about Dark Humor. Sometimes we laugh at things that are scary or gross as a way to process them.
You can also talk about the Evolution of Media. Compare the 1988 Lydia (a lonely, depressed goth girl) to the 2024 Astrid (a skeptical, eco-conscious teen). It’s a great conversation starter about how "cool" has changed over the last 40 years.
Finally, if your kid starts asking about "Seances" or the "Afterlife" because of the movie, don't sweat it. In the Burton-verse, the afterlife is just a giant, bureaucratic DMV with more green skin. It's more of a satire on life than a theological statement.
Beetlejuice is the ultimate "safe" rebel phase. It’s dark enough to feel "cool" and "edgy" to a 12-year-old, but it’s ultimately a story about family and finding where you belong—even if where you belong is a house full of ghosts.
If you’re looking for a family movie night, start with the original movie. If they love it, move on to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. And if they start asking for a pet sandworm, maybe just get them a Tamagotchi instead.
- Watch the trailer for the new movie with your kid to gauge their "scare" level.
- Check their TikTok/YouTube history if they’ve been searching for "Beetlejuice" to see what kind of fan content they’re consuming.
- Explore other Tim Burton classics if they like the vibe. We recommend The Nightmare Before Christmas or Corpse Bride for a slightly gentler introduction to the macabre.
Check out our full guide to "Spooky but Safe" movies for tweens