There has been little film criticism of The Nightmare Before Christmas, a childhood favorite and now a staple of American popular culture. The 1993 stop-motion animated movie is based on Tim Burton’s original poem of the same title, which centers on an all-powerful leader seeking to re-enchant his realm with the spirit of Christmas.

And it happens to be a story that tells us something about life under capitalism.

The Nightmare Before Christmas begins in Halloweentown, a place inhabited by witches, vampires, ghosts, and other fiendish (though mostly friendly) creatures, but which otherwise contains virtually no magic. It runs and operates like any other town, with a diverse population, an urbanized downtown, an ineffectual and two-faced mayor, and research and development offices run by the creepy Dr Finkelstein. However, it is Jack Skellington who wields the real power, represented by Burton as a Steve Jobs–style CEO, rather than a feudal-lord.