Although Ryder made her screen debut in Lucas ( 1986 ) , her first big role came in 1988 with Beetle Juice as Lydia Deetz , a Goth teenager . She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas . Ryder 's first significant role came in Tim Burton 's Beetlejuice ( 1988 ) as a goth teenager , which won her critical and commercial recognition .