Twenty one years ago in October, one of the most well-known Halloween movies was released: The Nightmare Before Christmas. The movie is filled with fun characters, wonderful music, and meaningful lessons meant for all ages. With its distinctive style and wonderful cast, the movie continues to be a fan favorite all these years later.

The movie follows Jack Skellington, also known as the Pumpkin King. After Halloween, he starts to realize he has a longing for something different and unique. He struggles to find his true identity and what he wants, realizing that the entire time it was right in front of him.

Written by Tim Burton, the movie was a one-of-a-kind film when it was released in 1993. Burton, known for other movies such as Beetlejuice and Corpse Bride, once again showed his unique style in storytelling and film production. It was made using stop-motion animation, moving the clay figures to create the illusion that they were moving. Henry Selick, one of Burton’s friends who worked on the movie with him, stated, “Tim’s a genius for the ideas, the designs, and all the things that really do matter, but he wanted somebody else to direct it.” The music was written by Danny Elfman, who was also the singing voice of Jack. Elfman’s music is featured in many of Burton’s works, such as the hit series Wednesday. He has received much praise for his performance in the movie.

After the movie’s release, it was nominated for 17 awards, winning seven of them, including the “Annie Award for Best Individual Achievement for Artistic Excellence in the Field of Animation” in 1994. During its original theater appearance, it earned $50 million dollars in the box office, which was over double its budget. Now, it’s shown in theaters around Halloween every year.

The film takes place in between Halloween and Christmas, making it the perfect movie for the end of the year. Even now, more than two decades later, people still love putting up decorations inspired by the film. Couples even go trick-or-treating dressed as Jack and Sally. This beautiful story has touched the hearts of fans all over the world.

The award winning soundtrack continues to be adored by fans. Recently in 2021, pop star Billie Eilish performed as Sally during Disney’s live-to-film concert of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Before performing in this concert, she posted on social media that she was “so excited.” Her performances were loved by everyone in attendance, and they still circulate the Internet today. Elfman returned to his role as Jack, saying that he “thought [he’d] be singing to empty seats. [He] could have never imagined that this year [they’d] be doing our sixth, seventh and eighth shows at the Hollywood Bowl, all of which bring out kids, teenagers, and both younger and older people.”

Even though it’s been a couple of decades since its release, the film continues to touch the hearts of newcomers and old fans alike. With the film’s plot beginning on Halloween and continuing right on through until December, there’s plenty of time to enjoy this classic holiday movie.