The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
★★½ — The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Tim Burton conceived the story as a poem in the early 1980s while working as a Disney animator, though the studio shelved the project for years before eventually greenlighting it under their Touchstone Pictures banner. When production finally began, Burton was busy directing Batman Returns, so the actual directing duties fell to Henry Selick, a detail that gets lost remarkably often in popular memory. Selick had spent years in the commercial and short-film world and would go on to direct James and the Giant Peach (1996) and Coraline (2009), both similarly ambitious stop-motion productions. Shot at a dedicated facility in San Francisco, the film required over 100 sets and a crew of more than 120 people working across three years, producing roughly 70 seconds of finished footage per week.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) arrives with near-unassailable cultural status. A stop-motion holiday perennial adored by millions for its gothic whimsy, Danny Elfman's catchy score, and Tim Burton's signature aesthetic. And there's no denying the craft: the animation remains a marvel of patience and detail, every stitch on Jack Skellington's bony frame lovingly rendered, every cobweb-laden set dripping with atmosphere. The film's visual imagination is undeniable, and its fusion of Halloween and Christmas iconography created something genuinely unique in 1993. Yet admiration for its artistry doesn't always translate to enjoyment (at least for me). The songs, while inventive, grow repetitive across 76 minutes, their theatrical bounce wearing thin without stronger narrative propulsion beneath them. Jack himself, for all his skeletal charm, remains curiously one-note: a restless dreamer whose arc circles back to where it began without much emotional growth. The plot meanders through its second act, the romance with Sally feels undercooked, and Oogie Boogie arrives so late he barely registers as a threat. What emerges feels more like a beautifully crafted music video stretched to feature length, a series of striking tableaux in search of a compelling story. A visually inventive but emotionally slight curio that earns respect. Its legacy is secure, its influence vast, but not every masterpiece resonates with every viewer. For some, it's a seasonal treasure; for others (myself included), it's a handsome, melodic trifle that never quite casts its spell.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 1993 | Watched: 2026-04-07
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
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Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from Henry Selick: Coraline (2009)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More fantasy: Viy (1967) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
