Eccentric mainstream director Tim Burton is sixty three today. Imagine that. It felt like yesterday that I first saw The Nightmare Before Christmas as a child (and had to learn the difference between a producer and a director [shout out to Henry Selick]), and I’m sure many of you have had similar stories with some of the works in his filmography. Often was the starting point for many millennial cinephiles on their massive journeys (we even have an article on that), Burton’s works are so peculiar yet familiar. Our inner (or outer) misfit identities were made into leading characters on a massive level, for the world to see. We felt understood. Maybe Burton doesn’t carry quite the punch he once did, but I think it’s safe to say that many of us have a soft spot for him still, because he was one of the filmmakers that really got us thinking about what being a director is all about. Thus, let’s celebrate. Here are five films for newcomers to the works of Tim Burton.

5. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Arguably the final true hurrah in Burton’s filmography (although Frankenweenie is a fantastic B-movie tribute and Big Eyes is pretty underrated), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was Burton’s attempt at sharing the twisted musical to the world with great results. Part of the success here is Burton going all in on the original story’s gruesome details and filth; seeing unhinged Burton not catering to the ratings system is nice. While far from the darkest or gloomiest musical ever, Burton’s Sweeney Todd is still a grim musical done right.

4. Corpse Bride
All of the animated works that Burton produced or directed deserve some love or curiosity, but his greatest hour in that department is Corpse Bride: a work that was heavily crushed by the weight of merchandising and hype, but continues to live as a solid animated feature years after its release. Containing the old magic that Burton’s films used to boast on a frequent basis, Corpse Bride is a gorgeous take on unconditional love, told via gangling figurines. It’s easy to see why this film might get sucked into the entirety of his filmography and not stand out, but I’m here to insist that it deserves your time.

3. Big Fish
One thing that Burton was really good at was making films with flaws still connect fully with audiences. Big Fish does have hiccups throughout, but its strengths are painstakingly beautiful. I find it impossible to completely write Big Fish off, especially because it leaves me so emotional after every single watch. Plus, amidst some of the more questionable moments (that elephant defecting as comedic relief never sat well with me) are exhilarating takes on the experience of life; the slowing down of time only to speed up is a bittersweet observation of how we cling onto memories while life passes us by. Big Fish is Burton’s greatest achievement in cinematic poetry, and I still think it doesn’t get nearly enough love.

2. Edward Scissorhands
Like it was for many others, Edward Scissorhands was my absolute favourite film as a teenager. Something about the titular android resonated greatly with me; toss in the film’s fairytale explanation for why it snows, and you have a greatly whimsical experience. While there are the occasional flaws and plot holes, Edward Scissorhands is still so full of warm caricatures (surpassing a cold satirical feel) that none of them seem to get in the way. Burton once was so good at making living storybooks (or one could consider Edward Scissorhands a Christmas story). It’s one of those films where I still like to revisit it every once and a while, no matter how far I drift away from it as a cinephile.

1. Ed Wood
For me, this is an absolute no brainer. Never did Tim Burton come close to creating such a masterpiece like Ed Wood; not before, and not since. In an era when the internet couldn’t clear the name of an artist’s tarnished legacy, and every opinion thrived on hearsay, Burton used this opportunity to get the world to really understand that Ed Wood was misunderstood. We don’t have to like his films, but knowing that his dreams were pure and his intentions were good helps us watch his works from a bit of a more sympathetic angle; I’d argue there’s less malice or irony in appreciating the films of Ed Wood in recent years. Ed Wood is still satirical and comical, but it was always meant to be a tribute to the art of making moving pictures. From its tender nature and embrace of quirkiness, Ed Wood is still a Tim Burton film through and through. Due to its ambitions and well executed attempts at conveying such a tale in Burton’s signature way, Ed Wood is by far his opus, and the best place to start when exploring his filmography.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.

Tim Burton: Five Films for Newcomers