Honestly, if you saw a three-hour movie about Death eating peanut butter and falling in love with a billionaire’s daughter in 1998, you probably walked out. A lot of people did. Or, more likely, they sat through the first ten minutes just to see the trailer for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and then bolted for the lobby. It’s one of the weirdest footnotes in Hollywood history: a $90 million meditative drama becoming the most expensive ticket to a trailer ever sold.
But something happened over the last few decades. The Joe Black Brad Pitt movie—officially titled Meet Joe Black—didn't just disappear into the bargain bin of the late nineties. It lingered. It became a meme (that car crash scene is still legendary). More importantly, it became a cult classic for people who realize that modern movies are often too fast, too loud, and too scared to be sincere.
Why Critics Originally Trashed the Joe Black Brad Pitt Movie
When director Martin Brest released this thing, critics were brutal. They called it "bloated," "glacial," and "narcissistic." Roger Ebert, usually the voice of reason, gave it three stars but admitted the subplots felt like they were dragging a ball and chain.
The runtime is the big elephant in the room. Two hours and 58 minutes. For a romance? That’s Titanic length without the sinking ship.
But looking back from 2026, that "glacial" pace feels like a luxury. We live in an era of ten-second TikToks and movies edited like a frantic fever dream. There is something deeply radical about a movie that forces you to sit in a room with Anthony Hopkins and just... talk. No explosions. No multiverse. Just a man facing the end of his life and a personification of Death who is genuinely confused by the concept of a spoon.
The Performance Brad Pitt Regrets (But Fans Love)
Brad Pitt has been pretty open about the fact that he thinks he "muffed" this one. He’s gone on record saying it was the pinnacle of his "loss of direction" in the nineties.
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If you watch it expecting the cool, charismatic Pitt from Fight Club or Ocean’s Eleven, you’re going to be disappointed. He plays Joe Black with this wide-eyed, stiff, almost robotic innocence. Critics at the time called it "execrable" and "stiff."
But isn't that the point?
He’s playing Death inhabiting a human body for the first time. He should be awkward. He shouldn't know how to move his arms or react to the taste of peanut butter. While Pitt might think he failed, his performance captures a strange, alien vulnerability that actually makes the romance with Claire Forlani work. He’s a tourist in a human suit.
The Anthony Hopkins Factor: A Masterclass in Gravitas
If Pitt is the experimental element, Anthony Hopkins is the anchor. He plays Bill Parrish, a media tycoon who has "sixty-five years" and a legacy to protect.
The chemistry between these two is what saves the film from being a total disaster. Hopkins brings a heavy, soulful dignity to the role. You believe he’s a man who has conquered the world but is now realizing he can’t negotiate with the one thing that actually matters.
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There’s a scene where Bill tries to explain "lightning strikes" love to his daughter, Susan. It’s a long, flowery monologue that would sound ridiculous coming from almost anyone else. But Hopkins makes it feel like gospel.
- The Budget: A staggering $90 million in 1998 dollars.
- The Paycheck: Brad Pitt pulled in roughly $17.5 million for the role.
- The Influence: Loosely based on the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday.
- The Cinematography: Shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, who would go on to win three consecutive Oscars. You can see the seeds of his genius in the warm, golden lighting of the Parrish estate.
That Car Crash Scene: The Meme That Won't Die
You know the one. Early in the film, the "Young Man in the Coffee Shop" (also played by Pitt) walks into the street and gets absolutely demolished by two different vehicles.
In 1998, it was shocking. In the 2020s, it became a viral sensation on Twitter and TikTok. It’s the sheer physics of it—the way he bounces like a ragdoll. It’s unintentionally hilarious, yet it sets the stage for Death to take over his body. It’s the ultimate "life comes at you fast" moment, and it perfectly encapsulates the movie’s weird blend of high-brow philosophy and sudden, jarring melodrama.
Is It Actually Worth Watching Now?
Look, I’m not saying it’s a perfect movie. It’s definitely thirty minutes too long. The subplot about the board of directors and the company merger? Honestly, you could skip it and lose nothing.
But the core of the Joe Black Brad Pitt movie is about something we usually try to ignore: the fact that everything ends.
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It’s a movie about the "tax" we pay for being alive. That tax is knowing it's temporary. When Joe says, "It's hard to let go, isn't it?" and Bill replies, "Yes, it is, Joe," it hits different when you aren't distracted by 1990s box office expectations.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re going to dive back into this three-hour epic, here’s how to actually enjoy it:
- Don't rush it. This is a "slow cinema" experience before that was a trendy term. Treat it like a novel.
- Watch the background. The production design by Dante Ferretti is insane. The Parrish penthouse is one of the most beautiful sets ever built in a New York armory.
- Listen to the score. Thomas Newman’s music is legitimately some of his best work. It’s haunting and carries the emotional weight that the dialogue sometimes misses.
- Ignore the business subplot. Seriously. Focus on the relationship between the father and the daughter. That’s the real heart of the film.
At the end of the day, Meet Joe Black is a beautiful, messy, over-budgeted poem about the sweetness of life. It’s not a "fast food" movie. It’s a five-course meal that takes way too long to serve, but the dessert is spectacular.
To get the most out of your viewing, try pairing it with the original 1934 version of Death Takes a Holiday to see how the "mysterious stranger" trope has evolved over nearly a century of filmmaking. You might find that the 1998 version, for all its flaws, actually adds a layer of human warmth that the original lacked.