In an industry as brimming with talent as the entertainment industry, rising above your peers can be a daunting task. Yet throughout the years some actors, directors, and filmmakers have managed to do so, emerging as iconic figures with a style that is instantly recognizable to audiences. Among these artists isTim Burton, a director, producer and writer so unique that a term has even been invented as a way of defining his peculiar style:Burtonesque. From his early beginnings in the industry all the way through his career, the filmmaker has left an everlasting mark on the history of cinema with his signature flair that has captivated audiences worldwide.
Burton’s productions usually combine gothic and fantastic elements to create dark andthrilling cinematic worlds, inhabited by the most extravagant characters who are generally misfit for the society to which they belong. This, added to different contrasts that he tends to set in his films and the musical score that goes with them, turns each one of the director’s productions into a masterpiece that appeals especially to all those who are able to recognize the beauty of things that are different.
Throughout his career, Burton has worked on extremely popular projects, such asBeetlejuice,Edward ScissorhandsandFrankenweenie, to name just a few of his many films. However, his style has been so deeply imprinted in the audience’s memory that many productions created by other filmmakers remind us of him. Here are 20 movies to watch next if you’re a fan of Tim Burton’s films.
20Coraline
Coralineis probably the movie most commonly associated with Burton, as the universe it depicts is quite similar to his films. This 2009 animated film follows Coraline, a young girl who has just moved in with her parents to a boring apartment complex in Oregon. One night, she discovers a secret door in her new home that leads her to a parallel universe where everything seems brighter, but this world harbors a threat that could potentially end her life. Henry Selick directs this production based on Neil Gaiman’s novel of the same name, which, apart from becoming a hit, was widely acclaimed by critics and audiences alike.
Related:How Tim Burton’s Love/Hate Relationship with Disney Shaped His Career
19ParaNorman
FollowingCoraline’s success, Laika releasedParaNorman, a stop-motion animated film directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, three years later. This production follows Norman, a shy boy from a small town in Massachusetts who has the ability to communicate with ghosts and is forced to save his community after a curse strikes and sets off a zombie invasion.ParaNormanwas highly acclaimed upon release and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
18The Addams Family
The Addams Familyis yet another production that people associate with Burton, as this quirky family fits in very well with the filmmaker’s characters. In fact, back in 2022, Burton was able to deliver his vision of the Addams family to the audience through the Netflix showWednesday.The Addams Familyis a 1991 comedy filmstarring Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, and Jimmy Workman inspired by the 1964 animated series. In it, the popular family finds themselves pitted against a group of con artists who attempt to get their hands on the family fortune.
17A Series of Unfortunate Events
Jim Carrey stars inA Series of Unfortunate Events, a 2004 film inspired by Lemony Snicket’s book series. In this production, directed by Brad Silberling, the audience is introduced to the Baudelaire children, who are orphaned when their millionaire parents are involved in a mysterious domestic accident. From then on, they are left in the care of their closest relative, Count Olaf, although this shameless man wants nothing more than to get rid of the children and seize their fortune. Joining Carrey in the cast of this film are Emily Browning, Liam Aiken, Timothy Spall, Catherine O’Hara, and Meryl Streep, among other actors.
16Pan’s Labyrinth
Pan’s Labyrinthis one of Guillermo del Toro’s masterpieces. Released in 2006 and starring Ivana Baquero, Seri López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, and Ariadna Gil, this production is set in Spain five years after the Spanish Civil War, and follows Ofelia, a 13-year-old girl who, while traveling with her mother to meet her new stepfather, discovers a mythical world and meets a faun who believes her to be a lost princess.Pan’s Labyrinthwas an absolute hit, winning, among other accolades, three Academy Awards.
15The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassuswas Heath Ledger’s final film, and following his passing, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell joined the cast playing different versions of his character to finish the production. This 2009 film directed by Terry Gilliam follows Doctor Parnassus, head of a popular theatrical troupe that offers audiences the chance to delve into their own imaginations. As a result of a pact he made years ago with the Devil, this man is about to lose his daughter, and must make one last bet to undo his old mistake and stay with her. Ledger is joined in the cast by Christopher Plummer, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, and Lily Cole.
14Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocusis a cult classic that keeps going strong over the years, and is watched by millions of people each Halloween. This 1993 production directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy follows Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, three treacherous witch sisters from Salem who are summoned back to life on Halloween night by a careless young boy. Over the years,Hocus Pocusgained a growing fan base, and for that reason, its sequel was released on Disney+ in 2022, with the leads reprising their roles.
13The Witches
The Witchesis another one of the movies on this list that became a cult classic over the years. It is directed by Nicolas Roeg from Roald Dahl’s book of the same name and, even though a new adaptation of the story came out in 2020, this 1990 film still stands as the best one to date.The Witchesintroduces a world where witches pose as ordinary women and spend their days trying to trick children in order to get rid of them. While on a trip with his grandmother, Luke sneaks into a witches' convention and discovers their evil plans to turn all the world’s children into mice, something he must stop by any means necessary. This production stars Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Rowan Atkinson, and Jasen Fisher.
12Penelope
Christina Ricci stars inPenelope, a 2006 rom-com that also features James McAvoy, Catherine O’Hara, Peter Dinklage, and Reese Witherspoon. This production, directed by Mark Palansky, follows Penelope, a girl who was born with the snout of a pig due to a curse that fell on her family many years ago. Ashamed, her parents fake her death and raise her in secrecy for many years, but Penelope grows tired of living behind closed doors, and so she sets out into the world for new experiences while trying to find true love to reverse the spell.
11Crimson Peak
2015’sCrimson Peakis another film from Guillermo del Toro, and stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain. This production follows Edith, a promising writer who moves into an English mansion to live with her new husband and his sister. However, soon after moving in, she is haunted by obscure paranormal visions that indicate that the mansion harbors a secret far greater than she realizes.
