--- title: "Death Becomes Her: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her" critics_score: 58 critics_reviews: 11 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): what the critics said Critics' score 58 from 11 reviews: 5 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative. 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. ## Radio Times — Sue Heal Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-hqtwlw/death-becomes-her/) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/death-becomes-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Jeff Menell Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 2018. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/death-becomes-her-review-1992-movie-1128382/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The article could not be accessed, so its verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint from the critic could be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/chuck-jones-meets-sunset-boulevard-on-robert-zemeckis-death-becomes-her) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 58/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 1992. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/31/movies/review-film-squeezing-the-humor-out-of-death.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 27 July 1992. 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 the review](https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/death-becomes-her-3-1200430256/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/death-becomes-her) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 1992. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-07-31-ca-4212-story.html) ## Vulture — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 16 April 2020. 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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/death-becomes-her-review.html) ## Den of Geek — Sarah Dobbs Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2014. 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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/revisiting-robert-zemeckis-death-becomes-her/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2021. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/death-becomes-her-1992-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/death-becomes-her.md