---
title: "Death Becomes Her"
year: 1992
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her"
fi1m_id: "death-becomes-her"
imdb_id: "tt0104070"
tmdb_id: 9374
wikidata_id: "Q1160186"
fi1m_score: 76
critics_score: 58
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-10-04T22:07:44.626221+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T22:07:45.116925+00:00"
region: "NL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Death Becomes Her (1992)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis · 1h 44m · Kijkwijzer 12 · Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

## Identity

Death Becomes Her

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** death-becomes-her
- **IMDb ID:** tt0104070
- **TMDB ID:** 9374
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1160186
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104070/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9374, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1160186

**Fi1m score: 76** · Critics 58 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn make eternal youth look exhausting

> Robert Zemeckis’s black comedy is worth an evening for Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and an unexpectedly funny Bruce Willis. The effects occasionally overstay their welcome, but the spite keeps things lively.

## Synopsis

Eternal youth and everlasting life are promised in a single small bottle. At the centre of the story are Madeline Ashton Menville (Meryl Streep), Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn) and Dr. Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), alongside Lisle von Rhuman (Isabella Rossellini). An ancient potion holds the secret to escaping ageing, but there is a complication: it does not always work as promised. The attraction is the chance to stay young for ever. The less reassuring prospect is having to live with the consequences for just as long, without any guarantee that eternal life will remain worth having.

## Review

The promise in *Death Becomes Her* is eternal youth, which sounds more attractive before we consider the company. Robert Zemeckis makes a good, malicious fantasy comedy about the wish to keep looking desirable, and gives his cast ample room to be ridiculous. The consensus is cooler than we are, with complaints that the effects overwhelm the jokes. We agree that the machinery sometimes gets in the way, but the actors make the cruelty funny enough to justify the evening.

Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn make that cruelty funny by giving it such undivided attention. Neither performance asks us to excuse the nastiness, and neither actor seems worried about looking foolish. We laughed at the relish with which they deliver their insults: the offence matters desperately to the speaker, however absurd it sounds to everybody else. That seriousness keeps the broad acting from becoming a competition to pull the biggest face, though both are willing to enter when required.

Bruce Willis, as Dr. Ernest Menville, is a welcome comic surprise. His performance gives the aggression around him something to work against, and he understands the value of letting another actor command our attention. A less assured performance could easily disappear beside these two, but he makes the contrast useful without competing for every laugh. The casting works because the three do not all attack a joke in the same way, leaving some welcome variation in the comedy.

Dean Cundey’s cinematography gives the grotesquerie a clean, polished presentation that helps the visual jokes register. Rick Carter’s production design contributes to that polish, which suits a satire so concerned with appearances. We need to understand the attraction of looking immaculate before the film can make such a nuisance of it. The finish can also become oppressive: when the jokes pause, there is little warmth in the images to make the wait more comfortable.

Arthur Schmidt’s editing works best when it allows the actors’ comic emphasis to determine the pace. The effects are ingenious, but displaying them sometimes makes the comedy wait too long, and admiration is not a reliable substitute for a laugh. Alan Silvestri’s score supplies a pleasingly creepy accompaniment, encouraging us to enjoy the fantasy’s nastier possibilities. Its willingness to treat the foolishness as sinister helps the film maintain its balance between disgust and amusement.

The screenplay by Martin Donovan and David Koepp gives the cast plenty of sharp dialogue, then occasionally seems satisfied to let another elaborate effect take over. Vanity is a rich subject, but the writing does not always find a fresh joke about it. The celebrity satire is broad, and its limitations become noticeable whenever the performances have less to work with. Those passages are frustrating because the better exchanges demonstrate how little equipment these actors need to be entertaining.

As a horror comedy, the film is entitled to be unpleasant, and we would not improve it by asking everyone to become nicer. Across 104 minutes, the pleasure is substantial even when the writing repeats itself. We would choose it for the performances and accept the occasional wait between good jokes. A reasonable tolerance for gruesome effects will make the evening considerably easier.

*Fi1m score 76, published 4 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are divided on Death Becomes Her, but praise repeatedly centres on Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, whose acerbic performances give the dark comedy much of its appeal. Admirers enjoy the celebrity satire and the stars’ willingness to mock themselves, with Bruce Willis’s comic ability also drawing notice. The special effects attract praise across otherwise differing assessments, while the more enthusiastic reviews find sharp dialogue and a cynical streak beneath the spectacle.

The split concerns how often that spectacle produces a laugh. Variety admires the effects and performances but finds the satire too cold to inspire much enthusiasm. The Los Angeles Times argues that the effects derail a promising setup and cannot compensate for weak comic writing. Other reservations concern gruesomeness and an old-fashioned approach. The spread is wide: supporters find the excess entertaining, while detractors see an overblown comedy that struggles to be funny.

## Straight answers

**Is Death Becomes Her worth watching?**

*Death Becomes Her* is worth watching for its malicious comedy and the performances of Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis; we score it 76 out of 100. It suits anyone who enjoys sharp insults and grotesque fantasy, though the writing repeats itself and the elaborate effects sometimes make the jokes wait.

**How long is Death Becomes Her, and what is it rated?**

*Death Becomes Her* runs 1h 44m and is rated 12 by the Kijkwijzer in the Netherlands. It is a comedy and fantasy film.

**Where can I watch Death Becomes Her in the Netherlands?**

*Death Becomes Her* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from €2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Death Becomes Her, and is it suitable for children?**

*Death Becomes Her* has a UK PG certificate, but its gruesome effects and deliberately unpleasant horror comedy warrant caution with younger or squeamish children. The creepy music encourages both disgust and amusement; we would choose it for viewers comfortable with grotesque fantasy rather than assume the certificate promises gentle family entertainment.

**How does Death Becomes Her compare to The Witches of Eastwick?**

*Death Becomes Her* is our stronger recommendation for sharp comic exchanges, while [*The Witches of Eastwick*](https://film.one/film/the-witches-of-eastwick) suits those drawn to an unrestrained Jack Nicholson and a broader supernatural ensemble. Both make extravagant bad behaviour enjoyable through strong casting, and both let effects grow tiresome, but we find more to enjoy in Streep and Hawn’s insults than in Eastwick’s underwritten women.

**What should I watch after Death Becomes Her?**

After *Death Becomes Her*, try [*The Witches of Eastwick*](https://film.one/film/the-witches-of-eastwick) (1987, Fi1m 73): Another supernatural comedy in which strong casting makes extravagant bad behaviour enjoyable. Then [*What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?*](https://film.one/film/what-ever-happened-to-baby-jane) (1962, Fi1m 82): For more vicious rivalry, damaged celebrity and actors unafraid of looking dreadful; and [*Daisies*](https://film.one/film/daisies) (1966, Fi1m 85): Two women behave disgracefully, with a comic freedom worth spending time around.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Radio Times**, Sue Heal (4/5): The review praises the film’s dark comedy, despite finding Zemeckis’s direction under-rehearsed. It singles out Streep and Hawn’s acerbic performances, along with the script and casting. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-hqtwlw/death-becomes-her/)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (78/100, inferred): Thomas finds the film highly enjoyable, praising its pitch-black comedy and celebrity satire. He also singles out the leads’ willingness to mock themselves and Willis’s unexpected comic skill. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/death-becomes-review/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Jeff Menell (75/100, inferred): Menell finds the film dark, over-the-top and entertaining, with a chance to draw audiences through its stars. He especially praises the makeup and special effects, though he says some effects are too gruesome to enjoy. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/death-becomes-her-review-1992-movie-1128382/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The article could not be accessed, so its verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint from the critic could be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/chuck-jones-meets-sunset-boulevard-on-robert-zemeckis-death-becomes-her)
- **The New York Times** (58/100, inferred): The URL identifies this as a review of the film, but the page text is inaccessible. The headline suggests a complaint about the film’s humor, though the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/31/movies/review-film-squeezing-the-humor-out-of-death.html)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (50/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the dark comedy fascinating but more likely to earn admiration than enthusiasm, with its cold satire limiting its broad appeal. He especially praises the seamless, astonishing special effects and the performances of Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. [Read](https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/death-becomes-her-3-1200430256/)
- **Time Out**, GA (40/100, inferred): The review finds the black comedy oddly old-fashioned. It singles out its resemblance to 1940s screwball comedies and horror spoofs rather than Zemeckis’s better-known films. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/death-becomes-her)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (30/100, inferred): Turan finds the film ambitious but ultimately flat, saying its dark comedy often forgets to be funny. He praises the early prologues’ nervy setup, but argues the impressive effects derail the film and cannot replace clever writing. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-07-31-ca-4212-story.html)
- **Vulture**, David Denby (10/100, inferred): Denby condemns the film as contemptuous of its audience and itself. He singles out Meryl Streep’s skill and apparent enjoyment as a rare escape from its overblown, demeaning comedy. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/death-becomes-her-review.html)
- **Den of Geek**, Sarah Dobbs (85/100, inferred): The critic wholeheartedly recommends revisiting the film, finding it clever, dark, and more cynical than it first appears. She especially praises its still-impressive special effects and memorable, creepy score. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/revisiting-robert-zemeckis-death-becomes-her/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (85/100, inferred): Kermode finds the film tremendously entertaining and praises its confident comic direction. She singles out Streep and Hawn’s performances and the sharp dialogue that lets them unleash their personalities. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/death-becomes-her-1992-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Details

- **Director:** Robert Zemeckis
- **Director:** Robert Zemeckis
- **Writer:** David Koepp, Martin Donovan
- **Cinematography:** Dean Cundey
- **Editor:** Arthur Schmidt
- **Music:** Alan Silvestri
- **Production design:** Rick Carter
- **Costume design:** Joanna Johnston
- **Producer:** Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis
- **Cast:** Meryl Streep as Madeline Ashton Menville; Goldie Hawn as Helen Sharp; Bruce Willis as Dr. Ernest Menville; Isabella Rossellini as Lisle von Rhuman; Ian Ogilvy as Chagall; Adam Storke as Dakota; Alaina Reed Hall as Psychologist; Nancy Fish as Rose
- **Runtime:** 1h 44m
- **Certificate (Kijkwijzer):** 12
- **Release (the Netherlands):** 7 January 1993
- **Genres:** Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
- **Budget:** $55 million
- **Box office:** $149 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jPuZLUY4II

## Where to watch in the Netherlands

- Amazon Prime Video: rent €2.99, sd
- Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy €7.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy €7.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-04.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1993: Best Visual Effects (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 1993: Best Special Visual Effects (won)
- Golden Globes 1992: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Witches of Eastwick* (1987), Fi1m 73: Another supernatural comedy in which strong casting makes extravagant bad behaviour enjoyable. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-witches-of-eastwick.md)
- *What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?* (1962), Fi1m 82: For more vicious rivalry, damaged celebrity and actors unafraid of looking dreadful. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/what-ever-happened-to-baby-jane.md)
- *Daisies* (1966), Fi1m 85: Two women behave disgracefully, with a comic freedom worth spending time around. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/daisies.md)
- *Kind Hearts and Coronets* (1949), Fi1m 91: A quieter serving of murderous comedy, delivered with impeccable manners and little remorse. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kind-hearts-and-coronets.md)
- *The Skin I Live In* (2011), Fi1m 80: A much grimmer encounter with beauty, bodily control and medical vanity. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-skin-i-live-in.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her