Tim Burtonis one of Hollywood’s most famous outcasts, often delving into the world of gothic fantasy when crafting his eccentric creations. His movies are rarely perfect but are imbued with a quirky charm that is instantly recognizable.
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In a long and often unpredictable career, Burton has tackled everything from aliens and ghosts to true-life stories and even superheroes. This list showcases some of his very best movies but is strictly focussing on those he directed (hence the omission ofThe Nightmare Before Christmas, which was produced by Burton but directed by Henry Sellick).
10Vincent
One of Tim Burton’s earliest films,Vincentis a stop-motion animation devoted to his childhood idol, Vincent Price. Not only isVincenta tribute to the horror star, Price actually provides the narration for it too.
Although it’s a short,Vincenthas all the macabre charm Tim Burton movies are known for, condensed into six minutes. With kooky characters, a script that references Edgar Allen Poe, and a few visual cameos from future Burton characters,Vincentis a ghoulish treat.
9Big Fish
A story of tall tales and colorful characters,Big Fishis a whimsical fairytale with charming performances from the likes of Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, and long-time Burton collaborator Danny DeVito.
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It’s a mischievous story, playing with the idea of what is real and what is false, blurring the lines between fiction and fact. Romance, action, comedy, and a little hint of darkness pepper this beautiful movie, which is definitely underrated in the Tim Burton canon.
8Frankenweenie
Following on from his stop-motion success withCorpse Bride, Tim Burton revisited one of his earliest live-action shorts, giving it an animated makeover. The result is a personal movie tackling a host of familiar Burton topics, including that of feeling like an outsider.
Besides the idea of a boy bringing his dead dog back to life,Frankenweenieis peppered with references to Tim Burton’s favoriteclassic horror movies. Characters visually resemble the likes of Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre, and there’s even a musical call-back toThe Bride of Frankenstein.
7Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollowis Tim Burton’s direct homage to the Hammer Horror movies of yesteryear, right down to a cameo by Christopher Lee. This is the quintessential Tim Burton movie, oozing Gothic atmosphere underscored by a haunting Danny Elfman soundtrack.
It’s a rare occasion of Burton going full-horror (something he does less than people would think). There are decapitations abound (including the shocking beheading of a child), thrilling chases, and some truly nasty make-up for the Headless Horseman himself, portrayed by Christopher Walken.
6Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
This reimagining of the classic musical is a gory masterpiece, a spectacle of blood, guts, and show tunes with a stellar cast to match. It’s a rare occasion of Burton working without Danny Elfman, instead utilizing the music of Stephen Sondheim.
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Johnny Depp is excellent as the tormented ‘Demon Barber’ of the title and imbues the character with sympathy as well as menace. It’s a witty, ghoulish movie that plays the macabre sensibilities of the original stage production to the hilt.
5Batman
One of the biggest gambles in Warner Brothers’ history was letting Tim Burton direct a live-action version of theirmost popular superhero property, with character actor Michael Keaton in the title role. It paid off beautifully.
Toeing the line between mainstream Blockbuster and Tim Burton quirk,Batmanis a fun, epic thrill ride that reinvented what a superhero movie could be. The unhinged, scene-stealing performance from Jack Nicholson asthe Jokercemented it as a classic.
4Ed Wood
Going against the grain in the early nineties, Tim Burton opted to film a biopic about the ‘world’s worst movie director,’ and he shot it in black and white. It might not have been a commercial success, but it received critical acclaim and reintroduced the late Ed Wood’s works to the world.
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Following Wood’s friendship with Bela Lugosi (played to perfection by Martin Landau),Ed Woodis a celebration of the outcast. Funny, heart-breaking, and strangely innocent in its way, it remains one of Burton’s best.
3Edward Scissorhands
The last movie to star Burton’s hero Vincent Price,Edward Scissorhandsis a modern fairytale that dares us to ask which is weirder, the outsider or the people of the American suburbs?
Taking an eccentric concept and running with it, the real horror ofEdward Scissorhandslies in its spotlight on small-town America. Lots of people, all the same, live in each other’s pockets and secretly try to outdo their neighbors. It’s also a cautionary tale about the dangers of trying to fit in. As Tim Burton a film as you may get.
2Batman Returns
The only sequel Tim Burton has (to date) ever directed,Batman Returnswas hugely controversial at the time and resulted in Warner Brothers taking the franchise into a more ‘family friendly’ direction.
What makesBatman Returnsso good is the fact that it’s Tim Burton let-loose. He didn’t enjoy his time making the original, but for this sequel he was given free rein, crafting a macabre fairytale version of the Batman universe. It’s grotesque, twisted, perverse…and still one of thebestBatmanmovies ever made.
1Beetlejuice
With those iconic black-and-white stripes, the most Danny Elfman soundtrack ever, and Winona Ryder as the ultimate Goth girl,Beetlejuice(Tim Burton’s second feature-length movie) is THE quintessential movie from the eccentric director.
It’s largely plotless, instead moving from one ghoulish set piece to another. From thetitle character(in a stellar performance from Michael Keaton) bursting out of a cardboard grave to a possessed family dancing around a table to the song Day-O! by Harry Belafonte,Beetlejuiceis unpredictable and hilarious. Imperfect it may be, but that’s what makes it all the better.
