Where To Watch Corpse Bride

When it comes to family-friendly flicks that are also grim and macabre, there's perhaps no better film to watch this Halloween season than "Corpse Bride." Co-directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson, the stop-motion project has emerged as a gem from the mid-2000s. Remembered for its intricate animation, moody music, and chilling narrative, "Corpse Bride" is simply one of Burton's best films. With an 84% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, it also stands out as one of the director's most critically acclaimed movies. Though it definitely doesn't have as much clout as the Henry Selick-directed "The Nightmare Before Christmas," Burton's 2005 picture is the perfect spookfest to throw on when you want a sinister but family/children-appropriate film for the Halloween season.

Despite being stop-motion, the movie is still filled with Burton's frequent collaborators, making it a must-watch for fans of the filmmaker. Johnny Depp, who starred in other Burton hits like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Sleepy Hollow," voices the male protagonist in the pic. Helena Bonham Carter, who joined the director for favorites like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Big Fish," is featured as the titular bride. Oh, and Christopher Lee plays a character in "Corpse Bride" that you might have forgotten. Scoring the pic is Danny Elfman, who previously worked with Burton on projects like "Batman," "Beetlejuice," and more.

An instant classic, "Corpse Bride" is mandatory viewing for horror and stop-motion fans of all ages. While the pic is scary, its narrative and themes shouldn't be off-putting to younger audiences.

Set in the 17th century, Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride" follows Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp), a young man who is on track to receive an arranged marriage to Victoria (voiced by Emily Watson). Surprisingly, they fall in love with each other and eagerly look forward to their wedding day. Unfortunately, things go awry when Victor ends up in the Land of the Dead and finds himself on an adventure with Emily (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter), a literal corpse bride. Inventive and grim, but still charming, the "Corpse Bride" is perfect for children who are looking for a little fright.

"Corpse Bride" is largely influenced by a Jewish folktale that is commonly known as "The Finger." In the story, a group of young men are walking through the woods late at night, stopping when they see a finger poking out of the ground. After jokingly saying that he would put a ring on the exposed digit, the young man's life changes when a corpse bride emerges from the ground, ready to take him up on his offer.

Though the film does tackle mature themes and boasts some disturbing imagery, it was rated PG in the United States, making it an accessible watch for most kids this Halloween. It's also only 77 minutes long, so it can be paired with another film for a family Halloween film marathon. There are, of course, some things in the movie that only adults will notice, which makes it perfect to rewatch if you haven't seen it since it came out.

If you're looking to indulge in the brilliance of "Corpse Bride," you can do so on Max. If you don't have a Max subscription, you can always digitally rent or purchase the pic through your favorite digital storefront. If you're a physical media purist, you can always purchase a Blu-ray of "Corpse Bride" from retailers like Amazon. Your best bet, however, is to get a Max subscription for the month, as the Warner Bros.-backed streaming service is riddled with other horror gems in addition to this Burton classic. From "The Exorcist" to the original "Friday the 13th," Max is loaded with tons of flicks to keep you occupied and horrified during the spooky season.

Perhaps more importantly, the streaming service boasts another one of Tim Burton's Halloween classics. On Max, you can watch "Beetlejuice," which pretty much kicked off the filmmaker's career. Most of Burton's other favorites, like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Sweeney Todd," are scattered throughout the streaming universe.

As of this writing, it's unclear if there will be a follow-up to "Corpse Bride." In the era of legacy sequels and constant remakes, it would be naive to say that a "Corpse Bride" sequel will never happen; however, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and the rest of the film's creatives have never publicly discussed a return to the film's undead universe. Since the film came out around two decades ago, it does seem slightly unlikely for a sequel to manifest. And while fans would more than likely welcome one with open arms, "Corpse Bride" earned just shy of $115 million worldwide. While that's nothing to scoff at, it's also a haul that's difficult to boast about.

If the film had been more profitable during its theatrical run, Burton and his team would have probably cooked up a sequel by now. But that aside, Burton has moved on to different projects these days. After the ending of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (itself a sequel to an even older film), it's likely that Burton will focus on creating a third entry for the horror-comedy franchise. The creative is also currently focused on Netflix's "Wednesday," his fan-favorite Netflix series based on "The Addams Family."