Death Becomes Her: A Hilariously Twisted Tale of Vanity and Revenge
In the glittering world of Hollywood, where egos are as inflated as the budgets, Death Becomes Her serves up a deliciously dark comedy that reminds us all: aging is a crime, and the punishment? A little something called eternal youth… and a whole lot of chaos.
Meet Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep), a self-absorbed actress who wouldn’t know humility if it slapped her across the face with a botox syringe. After swiping her best friend’s (and aspiring writer) fiancé, Dr. Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), she goes on to live a glamorous life filled with vanity, ego, and a distinct lack of self-awareness.
Fast forward 14 years, and enter Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), who has transformed from a bright-eyed writer into a complex-ridden, chubby mess of self-doubt. But wait! She’s about to make a comeback with her tell-all book, Eternally Young. Because nothing says “I’ve moved on” quite like a book title that screams “I’m still bitter!” And wouldn’t you know it? She shows up at Madeline’s book signing looking like a runway model, proving that revenge is best served with a side of fabulous.
But hold onto your hats, because Madeline is not about to let some rejuvenated ex-friend steal her thunder. In a classic case of “if you can’t beat them, potion them,” Madeline seeks out the mysterious Lisle Von Rhuman (Isabella Rossellini) who, in a plot twist that could only happen in the wildest of Hollywood fantasies, offers her a magic potion that grants eternal youth. Madeline downs it faster than you can say “midlife crisis,” and boy, does she get results! Suddenly, she’s looking like she just walked off the cover of a magazine—if that magazine was called “How to Defy Death with a Little Help from Your Friends.”
But alas, what goes up must come down. In a series of hilariously grotesque events, both women find themselves grappling with the consequences of their newfound beauty. Spoiler alert: eternal youth comes with a few *minor* side effects. Let’s just say that death is a little more literal than they anticipated. As the plot thickens, we witness a delightful descent into absurdity as these two women try to one-up each other, while Ernest, the ever-helpless surgeon, finds himself at the center of their chaotic rivalry.
What follows is a whirlwind of hilarious mishaps, body horror, and a plot that spirals out of control faster than Madeline’s ego can inflate. The film serves as a satirical take on society’s obsession with youth and beauty, all while delivering laugh-out-loud moments that keep you entertained. As the body count rises (literally), we’re left to ponder: is it worth it to look fabulous when you’re just a walking corpse?
In the end, Death Becomes Her is a wickedly funny exploration of vanity, jealousy, and the lengths to which people will go to cling to their youth. It’s a reminder that while aging gracefully is an art, sometimes it’s more entertaining to just throw caution (and your moral compass) to the wind. So grab your potion, embrace the chaos, and remember: beauty may be fleeting, but bad decisions are forever!