Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
William Parrish, media tycoon and loving father, is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. One morning, he is contacted by the inevitable, by hallucination, as he thinks. Later, Death enters his home and his life, personified in human form as Joe Black. His intention was to take William with him, but accidentally, Joe and William's beautiful daughter Susan have already met. Joe begins to develop certain interest in life on Earth, as well as in Susan, who has no clue with whom she's flirting.
Meet Joe Black is a lush, unhurried romantic fantasy anchored by strong performances — particularly Anthony Hopkins, whose commanding warmth elevates every scene. The acting earns a genuine 4: Hopkins, Brad Pitt, and Claire Forlani all bring considerable presence to the material. The plot is a thoughtful if overly languid retelling of Death-takes-human-form (derived from the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday), and at nearly three hours it tests patience; the pacing drags in the middle act, making it below-average as a tightly constructed narrative but above average in its thematic ambitions — a solid 3. Cinematography is competent and elegantly lit but not especially distinctive — 3. Novelty lands at 3: it draws from existing source material and familiar romantic fantasy territory, but the specific execution — Death as a naive, curious visitor learning humanity — gives it enough of its own identity. The ending is the film's biggest weakness: the resolution feels convenient and emotionally unearned, undercutting the dramatic stakes the film spent so long building — a 2.