Published Nov 6, 2026, 4:04 AM EST

Perhaps it's so underrated because it barely even feels like a Tim Burton movie

The Tim Burton masterpiece that everyone forgets is still free to stream

Image: Columbia/Everett Collection

When the conversation turns to Tim Burton ’s best movies , the same titles tend to surface: Beetlejuice , his Batman movies , Edward Scissorhands , Ed Wood , and Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure . Even The Nightmare Before Christmas usually gets a mention, despite being directed by Henry Selick . Less likely to enter the discussion is Big Fish , Burton’s 2003 fantasy about a father whose life sounds too extraordinary to believe. That’s a shame, because it’s some of his very best work. It's also available to stream for free right now on YouTube and Tubi.

Big Fish follows Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), a man trying to reconnect with his semi-estranged, dying father, Edward (Albert Finney).…