What Are the 9 Best Tim Burton Movies?

There are a few names of filmmakers where you can just picture the kind of movie they make without having to see a frame. One of those auteurs is Tim Burton.

Burton movies have a particular look and feel—”Burtonesque“—even though they cover a huge difference in genres. There are many essays you can learn about storytelling and aesthetics from each.

Today, I want to talk about my nine favorites and share them with you.

Let’s dive in.

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1. Ed Wood

A heartfelt, quirky biopic and an all-time favorite movie for me, this film is for every dream, for every storyteller, for every filmmaker. It’s Burton at his best, with stunning visuals, oddball characters, and a heartening plot.

2. Edward Scissorhands

A poignant and visually stunning fairy tale that contains maybe the best production design I have ever seen. Burton is a master worldbuilder, and at the center of this Christmas movie is an indelible character.

3. Batman & Batman Returns

Burton and Batman were a match made in heaven. He took the dark, gothic story and created a Gotham City that felt so real and yet so fantastical these movies have such wonderful practical effects as well.

4. The Corpse Bride

Burton gets credit for Nightmare Before Christmas, which he really just produced. Here’s a movie he actually directed and worked on the story for that I think is super underrated.

5. Big Fish

One of his first collaborations was with John August. I think this movie is an absolute dynamic look at a father and son’s relationship. It has the sunshine you don’t see in many of his other movies, and it wears its heart on its sleeve.

6. Beetlejuice

The movie that really made people pay attention, you get this whole fantastical world filled with practical effects and over-the-top macabre characters.

7. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

I was a little too young for this as a kid, but as an adult, I look back on this movie, and I cannot believe it was even for kids. It’s a wild world that feels like both a dream and a nightmare.

8. Sleepy Hollow

I saw this in theaters, and it blew my mind., It’s Burton doing Agatha Christie by way of Washington Irving. There are fantasy elements and noir and still that Burton aesthetic we all know and love.

9. Mars Attacks

I just think this movie is so funny. It makes me laugh hard every time I watch it. It’s this nihilistic look at aliens attacking, and I love how weird and retro everything is on screen. I will always stop to watch it on cable.

Summing Up The Best Tim Burton Movies 

Tim Burton is such an interesting director. A lot of these movies are different but also so similar. You can see the connective tissue and what drew Burton to them.

These are movies I love watching and that I hope you do too. I want to hear your Burton ranking,

Let me know what you think in the comments.