Brad Pitt’s Strangest Role Ever Is Now Streaming
Brad Pitt's Meet Joe Black is streaming on Amazon Prime.
From his early days starring in Thelma & Louise to his more recent roles in titles like Bullet Train, Brad Pitt has been a staple of Hollywood for decades. Now, fans of the World War Z star can catch one of the strangest performances from his lengthy career on Amazon Prime Video as Meet Joe Black is currently streaming on the platform. With a dynamite cast packed with powerhouse performances, this one is a must-see for any die-hard fan of the celebrated actor.
Helmed by Beverly Hills Cop director Martin Brest, the 1998 title sees Brad Pitt joined in the leading lineup by Anthony Hopkins and Claire Forlani. A romantic drama mixed with the darker side of fantasy, Meet Joe Black introduces audiences to Hopkins’ Bill Parrish, a man who’s celebrating his 65th birthday with his beloved friends and family. A chance encounter with Death (Pitt) allows Bill to have a handful of extra days of life with one catch – that Death be given the chance to experience the joys of what it’s like to be human.
Overall, the film was a success at the box office, bringing in $142.9 million against its $90 million production budget. A rumor going around claimed that the film had Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace to thank for its big earnings as it was one of the first movies to feature a trailer for the prequel during its opening. To put you in the year, the Brad Pitt-led movie was competing at the box office with the Adam Sandler comedy classic The Waterboy and the sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. What a time to be alive!
Unfortunately, Meet Joe Black wasn’t a major hit with critics who – like many audience members – thought that at a whopping three hours in length, the film dragged on. Standing at 45 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the one thing both critics and audiences could agree on was the performances from the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Claire Forlani, and the ensemble cast.
Meet Joe Black had a resurgence on Twitter just a few years ago after one of the most insane scenes in cinematic history caught the attention of the internet. In the one-minute clip, we watch as Brad Pitt’s human character says goodbye to Claire Forlani’s Susan with both walking out onto a busy New York City sidewalk. As they separate, each one turns back multiple times seeing nothing but the back of the other party walking in the opposite direction.
As Brad Pitt wanders into the middle of a street (on a ‘don’t walk’ light, mind you), the unthinkable (totally predictable) happens. Stopping for a moment to collect his thoughts, a car slams on the horn only to dodge him by mere inches. Seconds later, he’s completely plowed over by another car, thrown into the air, and bounced onto another vehicle.
For Brad Pitt, Meet Joe Black would find itself in a patch during some of the best years of the actor’s life. It was during this time that he was romantically involved with Friends star Jennifer Aniston with the couple tying the knot just two years later in 2000. The drama feature would also be the lead-up to Pitt’s cult classic 1999 film, Fight Club, in which he starred alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Edward Norton.
As we all know, Brad Pitt’s career certainly didn’t slow down as he entered the new millennium with a slew of roles in celebrated features including Ocean’s Eleven, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Inglourious Basterds, 12 Years a Slave, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It was also during the early aughts when he starred opposite Angelina Jolie in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the film that would ultimately end his relationship with Aniston and propel Jolie and Pitt towards marriage.
There’s no drought when it comes to catching a Brad Pitt title on your streamer of choice. With well over 60 productions under his belt, it’s nearly impossible for fans to miss out on a movie starring the award-winning actor and producer. If you want to see one of his longest and most celebrated performances from the early days of his career, look no further than Amazon Prime Video where Meet Joe Black is now streaming.
