---
title: "Daylight: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/daylight/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/daylight"
critics_score: 47
critics_reviews: 7
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."
---

# Daylight (1996): what the critics said

Critics' score 47 from 7 reviews: 1 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative.

Most critics treat Daylight as a conventional disaster thriller, and the reviews lean mixed to negative. Where there is praise, it clusters on the spectacle: the special effects, the opening fireball and the suspense of the rescue sequences, with several reviewers allowing that the film delivers the genre’s basic goods competently. Rob Cohen’s action staging draws a nod, and Sylvester Stallone is noted for a more vulnerable turn than usual, which Radio Times counts as an unexpected strength.

The reservations gather around the story and the people in it. The plot is called formulaic by nearly everyone, and the harsher reviews find the trapped survivors hard to care about; The New Yorker goes further, judging the effects swamped by the star’s vanity. Variety’s dissent is specific, admiring Viggo Mortensen’s charisma and regretting how little the film makes of him. The spread is wide: Empire alone recommends it outright, while three reviews are plainly negative.

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Nathan finds the film an enjoyable, effective disaster movie that delivers exactly what it promises. He praises its spectacular special effects, especially the opening fireball, while noting its cheesy acting and predictable story.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/daylight-review/)

## Time Out — NB

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The available page identifies this as a review but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its description gives the trapped-group premise, without showing what the critic praises or criticizes.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/daylight)

## Radio Times — Jason Caro

Rating 3/5. 

Caro finds the film involving and solidly entertaining, though not a genre classic. He praises Rob Cohen’s action staging and Sylvester Stallone’s unexpectedly vulnerable performance.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-0j8n2m/daylight/)

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Rating 2/4. 6 December 1996. 

Ebert regards the film as a conventional disaster thriller. He singles out its suspenseful rescue sequences, while finding the story formulaic.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/daylight-1996)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 1996. 

The review is negative about the film. It faults the disaster-movie storytelling rather than singling out a strength.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/15/movies/daylight.html)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 5 April 1997. 

McCarthy finds the disaster thriller limited in imagination and excitement, with its trapped characters often difficult to care about. He praises Viggo Mortensen’s charismatic performance, lamenting that the film kills off his character too early.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/daylight-2-1117436682/)

## The New Yorker — Sarah Kerr

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 1996. 

The critic finds the disaster film a poor entry in its genre, with special effects overwhelmed by the star’s vanity. She also singles out the trapped survivors as clumsy, hysterical, and mean.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1996/12/23/1996-12-23-040-tny-cards-000153434)

---
© 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/daylight.md