Death Becomes Her

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Death Becomes Her

PG-13

1992

1h 45m

Fantasy

Comedy

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

58%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When a novelist loses her man to a movie star and former friend, she winds up in a psychiatric hospital. Years later, she returns home to confront the now-married couple, looking radiant. Her ex-husband's new wife wants to know her secret, and discovers that she has been taking a mysterious drug which grants eternal life to the person who drinks it. The actress follows suit, but discovers that immortality has a price.

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Critics Consensus

Hawn and Streep are as fabulous as Death Becomes Her's innovative special effects; Zemeckis' satire, on the other hand, is as hollow as the world it mocks.

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

05/11/2021

The target of the movie's jokes is female vanity, but since Zemeckis exhibits not a trace of affection for the actresses (or for any of the men, either), one feels humiliated merely watching his crude-spirited wit.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

01/03/2019

This new horror-comedy has to be one of the most heartless mainstream pictures ever made.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

01/03/2019

If there were something resembling genuine satire of human behavior beyond the simple pretexts for fancy special effects and relentless sadism, I might have found some of this funny.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Apr 21

2.5/4

... the central idea is tantalizing and the cast is having so much fun...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jan 1

2.5/4

The script by Martin Donovan and David Koepp never lacks for cleverness, but it's ultimately more frantic than funny.

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Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

02/11/2025

It’s funny, horrifying, and tightly plotted. It goes down a little too smooth, but it may have been all that was possible at the time.

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Chris G

Jun 10

Absolutely wonderful movie. The youngins have a lot to learn from this. Everybody's trying to look younger, but it comes at a cost. Everything comes at a cost. You'd be wise to learn a few things from this.

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Olga

Apr 19

An absolute classic - I'm in awe with everything in this movie same as I was some 30+ years ago upon its release.

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Ari V

@RT59419633 6d

Fun little doc ;) But Willis' comedic chops take the cake for me here; those exclamations especially.

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Melissa L

@Agent99 Aug 20

I thought that this was a great movie with a...wry sense of humor...well-acted. I also liked the ending. I really enjoyed it.

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Amy B

@RT04307553 Aug 8

Why is this rated so lowly on here?? It’s a classic! Everyone is wonderful in it. Thoroughly entertaining. Great movie!

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nick S

@Nick_S Jul 30

Lots of great moments. The dialogue is sharp and the direction is good. I don't really get why this isn't a more popular movie. There are plenty of great jokes delivered by a cast in top form.

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Robert Zemeckis

Director

Meryl Streep

Madeline Ashton

Bruce Willis

Ernest Menville

Goldie Hawn

Helen Sharp

Isabella Rossellini

Lisle Von Rhuman

Ian Ogilvy

Chagall

Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Helen Pays Ernest a Visit

1:30

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Plotting Madeline's Death

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Eternal Youth

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Medical Mystery

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Madeline Takes a Fall

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Shovel Showdown

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Ernest's Escape

2:35

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Madeline's Revenge

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - Friends Forever

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Death Becomes Her: Official Clip - At Home With Helen

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Synopsis

When a novelist loses her man to a movie star and former friend, she winds up in a psychiatric hospital. Years later, she returns home to confront the now-married couple, looking radiant. Her ex-husband's new wife wants to know her secret, and discovers that she has been taking a mysterious drug which grants eternal life to the person who drinks it. The actress follows suit, but discovers that immortality has a price.

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis
Screenwriter: Martin Donovan, David Koepp
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 1992, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 17, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $58.4M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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