Meet Joe Black

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2:26

Meet Joe Black

PG-13

1998

3h 0m

Fantasy

Romance

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

49%

Tomatometer

51 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)

Mar 28, 2023

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

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Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

Oct 26, 2020

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

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Ann Hornaday

Baltimore Sun

Oct 26, 2020

1/4

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

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Jun 9, 2025

3/5

...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...

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David Oppedisano

Radio Times

Jun 7, 2024

4/5

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

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Brian Costello

Common Sense Media

Jan 17, 2024

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

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Lucy T

@RT99539324 Oct 15, 2026

Three hours of quiet, slow, unhurried film, and it still didn't feel long. The score makes death feel tender instead of scary, and the contrast between a small moment of acceptance and the big birthday party is beautiful. Life is worth cherishing, and this movie makes you believe you can meet death like an old friend.

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Patchouli F

@Frankie59 Oct 11, 2026

If I didn't know how old this movie is, I could have sworn it to be AI slop.

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Gary W

@RT62167195 Oct 4, 2026

I found the movie engaging. Death exploring life; he had little understanding of it despite his eons of existence. The love story was sold well by solid acting. It made you laugh, it made you cry, it moved you. One of the best endings I've experienced.

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Tim R

@RT83483413 Sep 25, 2026

This could have been infinitely better if it was done more seriously. Instead, it was a very long winded romance at it's heart. The potential was there but wasted. Too bad, with all that star power

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 21, 2026

Meet Joe Black is like the Movie (Death Takes a Holiday) but still I am forced to give it a 3 star rating!

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Miscellaneous Spidey T

@RT93659095 Sep 12, 2026

I feel my rating may be skewed by the recent death of a loved one but...... This movie found its way into my heart through slow, emotional scenes. Beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time. Although the movie is a long one, for me it was worth every minute. Everyone deserves their own opinion on this movie, great actors, beautiful story, a movie that I will never forget.

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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

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Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Lightning Could Strike

2:58

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Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Mystery Man

2:30

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Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Joe Says Goodbye

2:51

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Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - That Was Wonderful

3:00

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Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Peanut Butter Man

2:23

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Meet Joe Black: Official Clip - Bill Introduces Joe

1:53

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

2:34

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

1:35

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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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