When describing the grotesque image, Bakhtin writes that it “reflects a phenomenon in transformation, an as yet unfinished metamorphosis, of death and birth, growth and becoming” (24). In accordance with this idea is the character Beetlejuice from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). On a physical level, his appearance is a vivid representation of the dead with his white complexion and green patches making him look like he is decaying. Beetlejuice’s existence, on the other hand, is defined by a curse that confines him to the afterlife, only being able to temporarily enter the human realm when called upon. These facets of Beetlejuice’s character directly link him to both life and death, with his journey further positioning him in a state of transformation.
Beetlejuice is intent on turning his life into a real one and, to do so, he makes a deal with Lydia: if Lydia agrees to marry him, he will help her find her daughter Astrid, and thus gain his freedom. At Lydia and her living partner’s wedding, Beetlejuice hijacks the ceremony and transforms the atmosphere by breaking into song. He possesses Lydia, Astrid, and Delia, making them perform a chaotic dance, echoing Bakhtin’s words “The individual is shown at the stage when it is recast into a new mold. It is dying and as yet unfinished; the body stands on the threshold of the grave” (26). Since it is Beetlejuice—a figure from the afterlife—controlling them, the surrounding characters near the “threshold of the grave.” And rather than attempting to stop the wedding, the characters’ movements become exaggerated dance moves, placing them “into a new mold” with a new purpose. Even though Beetlejuice would become part of the real world through this marriage, Lydia would be associated with the afterlife in the relationship.
With this ongoing plan being a major part of Beetlejuice’s journey in the film, it is an “unfinished” process, a characteristic Bakhtin correlates with the grotesque image. Since the marriage deal is never fulfilled, Beetlejuice is stuck “in transformation,” remaining under the curse that links him to both life and death.
Composed of unsettling visuals such as Beetlejuice removing his heart from his chest, Beetlejuice’s neck turning 360 degrees, and the priest’s jaw moving unnaturally, the scene further blurs the line between life and death. These images present bodies that are not alive or dead, but in an intermediary stage. And in doing so, further aligning with Bakhtin’s notion of the grotesque as a site of metamorphosis where life and death coexist, and transformation is ongoing.