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

47%

Tomatometer

53 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

The 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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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...Meet Joe Black was savaged by critics at the time, but looks a more interesting prospect today, not least because we know how just how far outside his comfort zone Brad Pitt’s deeply strange, yet memorable performance is...

Rated: 3/5

Jun 9, 2025

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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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Audience Member

One of the best movies i'ever seen in fact i'd say it's my top 1 drama movies it's just incredible and super emotional i loved every second of it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

Mike B

What in the world? This is a terribly insufferable movie.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

James B.

One of my 5 favorite movies of all time!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/02/25

Full Review

Meryl V

The movie that is the most likely to have in a heap on the ground.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/01/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

Full Review

davidfer a

Entertaining movie, great script and actors.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

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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