Meet Joe Black

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2:26

Meet Joe Black

PG-13

Released Nov 2, 1998

3h 0m

Fantasy

Romance

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

46%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), businessman and devoted family man, is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. However, before he reaches that landmark, he is visited by Death (Brad Pitt), who has taken human form as Joe Black, a young man who recently died. Joe and Bill make a deal: Bill will be given a few extra days of his life, and Joe will spend the same time getting to know what it's like to be human. It seems like a perfect arrangement, until Joe falls in love -- with Bill's daughter.

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Critics Consensus

Meet Joe Black is pretty to look at and benefits from an agreeable cast, but that isn't enough to offset this dawdling drama's punishing three-hour runtime.

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Joe Clay

Times (UK)

[A] glossy but overlong update of Mitchell Leisen’s 1934 comedy Death Takes a Holiday.

Mar 28, 2023

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Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

A savory, extralong feature whose obvious plotlines unfold with an almost painful slowness that somehow makes them deeper.

Oct 26, 2020

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Ann Hornaday

Baltimore Sun

To call the three-hour-long "Meet Joe Black" leaden would do an injustice to lead.

Rated: 1/4

Oct 26, 2020

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David Oppedisano

Radio Times

This is Hollywood at the crossroads of glossy and classy, with Hopkins at the peak of his powers and Pitt at his most transcendent.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 7, 2024

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Brian Costello

Common Sense Media

A gimmicky premise is made even worse by iffy acting, hilariously bad dialogue, and a slow pace.

Jan 17, 2024

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Ade Adeniji

AdeAdeniji.com

Meet Joe Black was a box office flub back in the late 1990s. But the three hour fantasy-romance movie isn’t all bad and like other cult classics like The Room, is so confidently ridiculous at times, you won't soon forget it.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 20, 2022

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Sergio G

Como pode um filme existir?

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/08/25

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MD MANJUR I

How futile life is!! This film may b not everyone's cup of tea.. Bt really connects your soul with ultimate future of every human being..

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/07/25

Full Review

Louise A

This movie is the first ever movie to hit me this deep. This is all I could ever ask for in a movie, I knew it would have a bitter-sweet ending but I could have never thought I would be bawling my eyes off for hours. It gave me the realization that even death couldn't escape love.. ( plus points for the really hot actors)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/25

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Bobby E

Im always drawn to this movie . Seen it half dozen times . Love the pace . Feels like I'm right in the room with the cast . Great acting . Love the script . Great close ups . Love Quince and can't wait to see Drew get his .

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/25

Full Review

Joanna B

It's a bit of an odd premise however that's exactly why I like it. Nowadays it is very hard to find a film with an original idea. I must admit the ending was a bit too on the nose. I think it would have been much better if it ended when the dad and Joe were walking away. It would have left the audience in suspense and craving for answers which they would come up with on their own.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/25

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Naomi M

Honestly one of my favorite movies, how death falls in love with not only a person but with life itself

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

Full Review

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Martin Brest

Director

Brad Pitt

Joe Black

Anthony Hopkins

William Parrish

Claire Forlani

Susan Parrish

Jake Weber

Drew

Marcia Gay Harden

Allison

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - I Like You So Much

3:00

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Lightning Could Strike

2:58

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Mystery Man

2:30

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Joe Says Goodbye

2:51

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - That Was Wonderful

3:00

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Peanut Butter Man

2:23

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Bill Introduces Joe

1:53

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Am I Going to Die?

2:34

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Bill's Birthday Speech

1:35

Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Undressing Joe Black

2:35

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Meet Joe Black: Trailer 1

2:26

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Synopsis

Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), businessman and devoted family man, is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. However, before he reaches that landmark, he is visited by Death (Brad Pitt), who has taken human form as Joe Black, a young man who recently died. Joe and Bill make a deal: Bill will be given a few extra days of his life, and Joe will spend the same time getting to know what it's like to be human. It seems like a perfect arrangement, until Joe falls in love -- with Bill's daughter.

Director: Martin Brest
Producer: Martin Brest
Screenwriter: Ron Osborn, Jeff Reno, Bo Goldman
Distributor: Universal Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Universal Pictures, City Lights Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $44.6M
Runtime: 3h 0m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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