20 Best Tim Burton Movies — His Entire Filmography Ranked

TIM BURTON MOVIE LIST

19. Dark Shadows (2012)

Dark Shadows seemed like a natural fit for Burton. A remake of the best vampire movies and starring frequent collaborators Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter? Slam dunk! However, the finished product is an unfocused story and visuals that almost seem like a parody of Tim Burton movies. There’s nothing for fans of the old show or the uninitiated. It’s just a big, bombastic mess.

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18. Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Riding high off the advent of actually good 3D technology, Alice in Wonderland grossed over $1 billion and led the way to all of the live-action Disney remakes you see today. A mortal sin if ever there was one. In hindsight, it’s a bizarre film that sacrifices any heart for a “Look what we can do!” aesthetic.

TIM BURTON DIRECTED MOVIES

17. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a cult classic for a reason. Tim Burton had the thankless task of directing the 2005 remake, and to his credit, there are a lot of interesting choices he made. He fleshes out Charlie’s family and gives Wonka himself a sympathetic backstory.

But what it gets wrong completely shoots the film in the foot. Namely, Johnny Depp’s bizarre performance. Still, you have to commend him somewhat for fully committing to his strange new vision.

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16. Dumbo (2019)

The 1941 Dumbo may be one of the greatest animated movies of all time, but with a 64-minute runtime and some unfortunate overt racism, it hasn’t exactly aged well. Perhaps this is one of Disney’s films that should’ve remained in the vault because Burton’s remake just falls flat in so many ways. Dumbo itself is very cute, and it’s kind of interesting seeing a Disney film… make fun of itself? But it’s just too much of a bore for anything to stand out.

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15. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

If you were ever curious what an X-Men film might look like as a Tim Burton movie, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children gives you the answer. While it has that Burton-esque flair, it doesn’t have a whole lot else. Eva Green is fantastic, but the children at the heart of the film get tossed to the wayside. Kids who already have an appreciation for a goth aesthetic may get a kick out of it, but it never rises to such heights as the best Tim Burton movies.

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14. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

If you couldn’t tell from our list so far, the 21st century hasn’t been kind to Mr. Burton. So when the sequel to one of his most beloved films was announced, it sparked mixed emotions in many of his fans. Would this be a return to form for the director? Or would he sully his legacy even more?

The answer is… kind of neither. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is far from great, but it’s also far from the horrors of Alice in Wonderland. It’s fun to see the old cast back together, and Burton reigns in his abuses of CGI, but the scatter-brained script keeps the movie from truly succeeding.

GOOD TIM BURTON FILMS

13. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Now we’re getting into the Tim Burton films that are pretty good. Sleepy Hollow is Tim Burton at his stylistic best. The costumes, production design, and cinematography work together splendidly to create one heck of an atmosphere. Anyone curious about what production designers do need only to study Tim Burton movies.

The story doesn’t always work in as many terrors as it would like, and it tends to fall into the realm of movie cliches. But for a pretty picture, you can’t beat the view.

FUN TIM BURTON FILMS

12. Mars Attacks! (1996)

Look, I’m not going to sit here and try to convince you, Mars Attacks! is a masterclass of artistry. It’s just hard to imagine a Hollywood film with an ensemble cast made something bordering on absurd Surrealism. It evokes classics from the past and serves as a modern homage to B-movies. 

Your mileage with this film will likely depend on how much you like visual gags and low-brow humor. As long as you don’t go in with lofty expectations, it’s a good way to pass a Saturday afternoon.

RANKING TIM BURTON DIRECTED MOVIES

11. Corpse Bride (2005)

Corpse Bride feels like some producer said, “Hey! Kids like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Let’s just do that again.” Tim Burton finally got the chance to direct a stop motion animated film, and the results are spectacularly “meh.” One of the best stop movies movies, this is not.

It’s a cute film, and the stop motion animation is breathtakingly wondrous. It was actually animated by LAIKA before they were their own fully-fledged animation house. It’s just a shame the other components don’t do the stop motion justice. 

Now that we’re into the top 10 Tim Burton movies, everything from here on out pretty much reaches “great” status. Sweeney Todd is without a doubt Burton’s most violent film, but even amongst all the blood and violence, he never loses his creative flair. The whimsy usually injected into his movies is replaced with a macabre style, and it works brilliantly. 

More than anything, the film shows just how good Burton is at directing musicals. Of all the movie genres, the horror film and the musical don't work on paper. And yet, the mixing of various genre conventions never overshadows one another. Instead, they work in tandem to create a gripping work that sticks with you.

TIM BURTON FILMS YOU LOVE

9. Frankenweenie (2012)

Tim Burton made a short film called Frankenweenie before his feature-length debut. He returned to these roots in Frankenstein, but this time, it’s about a young boy who wants to bring his dog back to life after it’s hit by a car. 

It’s a moving, heartfelt film. Made in black and white and featuring plenty of B-movie, monster references, the film is a loving testament to the movies that clearly influenced Burton growing up. It flies a little off the rails in the third act, but it’s the kind of movie that will make you hold your pup a little closer once it’s over.

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8. Big Eyes (2014)

Tim Burton let go of many of his artistic flourishes for Big Eyes. However, unlike Planet of the Apes, the movie is all the better for it. Burton brings the characters down to Earth to tell a haunting tale of a husband who steals his wife’s artwork and passes it off as his own. 

It’s one of Burton’s most mature works. Instead of focusing on style, he places Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz front and center, and the pair does an extraordinary job. It’s a solid film that shows Burton can still tell relevant, engaging stories without relying on many of his crutches that became prominent within the last decade.

Underrated Films Directed by Tim Burton

7. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

This debut feature film proves to be one of the best Tim Burton directed movies. He brings slight brush strokes of what would come to be known as his signature style to the zany antics of Pee-Wee Herman. 

There’s nothing particularly insightful about the film. It’s just going from one gag to the next, but when those gags work so well (particularly the super freaky Large Marge sequence), it’s hard not to fall in love with it.

BEST TIM BURTON FILMS

6. Batman (1989)

Tim Burton accomplished something truly extraordinary with 1989’s Batman. He made a comic book superhero movie accessible to the masses while infusing his creative flair. Like many early Tim Burton directed movies, his trademark grim but whimsical set design is on full display, turning Gotham into a German Expressionist's dream. 

This movie shows exactly why Burton is an immense talent. He can take a superhero film, musical, or dark drama and turn it into something that is signature “Burton.” He’s faithful to the genre he works in while putting his stamp on it.

TOP 5 TIM BURTON FILMS

5. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Edward Scissorhands is peak Burton. It’s an odd, lovely film and a great example of satire focused on suburban sensibilities. The townspeople are all too welcoming to allow Edward to trim their hedges and give them haircuts, while Winona Ryder’s tender performance as Kim anchors the emotion beneath the weirdness. 

For anyone who’s ever felt ostracized and cast out from society, Edward Scissorhands is a near-perfect love letter. It’s a modern fairy tale that could’ve only sprung from the mind of Tim Burton.

Tim Burton’s Best Movies

4. Batman Returns (1992)

Riding high off the success of Batman, Burton upped the weirdness and made a solid sequel. He introduced Catwoman, played brilliantly by Michelle Pfeiffer, whose scenes with Batman are extraordinary. Danny DeVito is also a delight as Penguin, and his run for mayor is still a magnificent piece of political satire. 

The film exudes personality. It’s a film with a confident director who knows precisely what he wants to do, and a studio letting him get incredibly strange with it. Darker superhero movies would come later, but there has still never been a beast like Batman Returns.

AMAZING TIM BURTON FILMS

3. Beetlejuice (1988)

Beetlejuice laid the foundation for Burton’s entire film career. It showed his dark humor, morbid sensibilities, and sentimentality. 

Beetlejuice twists the ghost movie on its head by making the ghosts the central characters. You root for them to scare the uptight Deetz parents from their home. From the “Banana Boat Song” scene to the sand worm, Beetlejuice was designed to influence a generation of outcasts.

TIM BURTON MOVIES LIST, RANKED

2. Big Fish (2003)

Big Fish isn’t filled to the brim with Burton’s usual stylistic flourishes. But those magical, whimsical moments are there just enough to lift this movie to something wonderful. 

Even if you strip away the visuals, it’s a fantastic movie about the bond between a father and his son. The stories the father tells his son influence his life so much. While other Burton films deal with the power of stories, none are quite as impactful as Big Fish.

The Best of All Tim Burton Directed Movies

1. Ed Wood (1994)

If there’s a theme to take from Tim Burton films, it’s that the world needs more outsiders, more weirdos, and more kooky talents. In Ed Wood, Burton celebrates the life and talent of the director of such “bad” movies as Plan 9 From Outer Space. Ed Wood may have never found his place in the world, but through this film, Burton celebrated what he tried to do, fully devoting himself to his visions. 

The style here is restrained. Burton forgoes many of his flourishes and opts to film in black and white. The characters are allowed to shine, and the audience can bask in all of their eccentricities. An ode to cinema and Burton’s most personal film, highlighting why he is a singular talent.