Tim Burton Movies in Order
Tim Burton is popular for his use of the German Expressionist style in filmmaking. It is a style in filmmaking that distorts the spaces, structures, and characters in movies. If you’ve seen Burton’s films, you’ll notice usual elements such as crooked walls, pale characters with elongated limbs, and oddly shaped items.
It is now rare to find directors and movies that follow German expressionism. This makes Burton a rare find in today’s cinema. Tim Burton’s animated movies, in particular, show the full extent of this style. What’s even more unique about Burton is that he usually caters to hopeful endings despite his characters and visual designs looking gloomy. His style doesn’t just reflect on animation. It can even push through further in live-action films.
Learning about Tim Burton’s films allows us to dive deep into a professional artist’s craft. Burton has become a figure of inspiration for many artists today. His ability to blend the colors and the gray areas of his stories allows people to find belief in themselves and accept the flaws of their lives. Of course, another thing that is great is that his films are wonderful to look at!
Since his debut, Burton has made animated movies and live-action films about superheroes, villains, and protagonists with unfortunate circumstances. This means that he’s made one or two films that had or will catch anyone’s attention. The only problem is finding which Burton movie resonates with your personality.
Listed below are all of Tim Burton’s movies in order of oldest to latest. Included in this list are all the films that he’s either produced, conceptualized, directed, or animated. Along with them are quick summaries and Burton’s participation in its development. We’ve included short films as well. However, we did not include music videos, television series, or Netflix productions.
The Island of Doctor Agor (1971)
The first one of Tim Burton’s movies in order is The Island of Doctor Agor. This short film began the extensive collection of Tim Burton films we have today. Burton was only 13 years old when he and his friends made the film with a Super 8 camera. They shot the film at Malibu beaches and the LA Zoo.
The film, in which Burton himself starred as Doctor Agor, was based on The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. The novel describes the journey of Edward Prendick that was taken hostage by the mad scientist Doctor Moreau, who participates in human experiments.
Unfortunately, Burton’s The Island of Doctor Agor has not resurfaced to the public for many years. Burton does mention his experience with his friends in the 2006 novel Burton on Burton and his early days of animation and filmmaking.
Prehistoric Cavemen (1971)
Up next on our Tim Burton movies in order is the Prehistoric Cavemen from 1971. Burton was only thirteen when he filmed the movie. Audiences assumed he used a Super 8 film camera to create it. Prehistoric Cavemen is a 4-minute long short film about a caveman’s adventure.
What makes this short film special is that it is the first of Burton’s stop-motion films. There’s not a lot of information regarding Prehistoric Cavemen. However, you can find YouTube videos of the short film on the Internet. It does feature more than just one caveman, and even a few fight scenes that lead to a massive flood.
Critics usually rate Prehistoric Cavemen with negative reviews. However, it’s interesting to watch how Burton’s earlier works later shaped his creations.
