Decades after the first film, Lydia Deetz hosts a paranormal talk show and is distant from her teen daughter Astrid after her husband dies. They return to Winter River for her father Charles's funeral with stepmother Delia. Astrid opens a portal to the afterlife through a local ghost named Jeremy. Lydia summons Betelgeuse, and his dangerous ex-wife Delores and afterlife cop Wolf Jackson add more trouble. The core story is about healing the mother and daughter bond, facing grief, and stopping Betelgeuse from forcing a marriage again in a gothic family comedy.
The movie does not put identity politics at the center of the plot. The main new lead Astrid is played by Latina star Jenna Ortega, and her late father Richard is played by Santiago Cabrera, so a mixed modern family is on screen while the legacy leads stay mostly white. Astrid has only a light climate and environment flavor through a school environmental conference and her father's rainforest work. There is no confirmed LGBTQ plot or characters. Dialogue is mostly family conflict and afterlife jokes, and the story is driven by grief and family repair rather than race, gender, or queer identity arcs.
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Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Woke representation / casting
A major new lead is Latina star Jenna Ortega, and the late husband is played by Santiago Cabrera, so a mixed modern family is visible. The older lead roles stay mostly white. The Connecticut setting fits ordinary mixed casting. The film does not sell the cast as a diversity statement.
12%
Woke political dialogue
Astrid has a short school and climate action character beat. Most talk is family conflict, afterlife jokes, and classic Betelgeuse crudeness. There are no activist race, gender, or queer speeches. The creators kept the lead demon openly un-PC.
8%
Identity-driven story themes
The story follows the Deetz women across generations, grief, and mother and daughter repair. It is female-centered because it is Lydia sequel, not a social justice thesis. Mild green activism only colors Astrid and Richard in the background. No queer, race, or systemic identity arc drives the plot.
12%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Not present. Afterlife red tape is franchise-style absurdist bureaucracy, not a modern critique of the West, whiteness, patriarchy, or Christianity.
0%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. No identity or DEI rewrite of established characters. Betelgeuse stays sleazy and politically incorrect by design.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Not present. No meaningful wave of anti-woke or anti-DEI complaints that this film pushes identity politics.
0%
Creator track record context
Director Tim Burton dominates with an anti-quota history and a clear defense of un-PC Betelgeuse. The writers score low. Plan B producers and diversity-leaning casting director Sophie Holland nudge the average up a little without changing the film tone.
15%
Production
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