---
title: "Friends: The Reunion: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/friends-the-reunion/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/friends-the-reunion"
critics_score: 62
critics_reviews: 16
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."
---

# Friends: The Reunion (2021): what the critics said

Critics' score 62 from 16 reviews: 6 positive, 8 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics find the reunion warm and watchable, and the praise lands almost entirely on the six cast members. The unscripted stretches on the rebuilt set, where they wander about, reminisce and reread old scenes, are singled out again and again as the moments that work. Several reviews describe the chemistry as undimmed, and a few admit to being moved despite themselves. The overall lean is mild approval rather than enthusiasm.

The reservations cluster around the format. Critics fault the celebrity cameos and the interview segments as padding, and most say the special stays on the surface and avoids the show’s thornier history. The spread is wide, from a glowing notice at HeyUGuys to Deadline, which finds it overlong, sloppy and driven by commerce. Even the harshest reviews concede the cast’s rapport; the Evening Standard calls it self-congratulatory yet still heartwarming, which is roughly where the whole argument sits.

## The i Paper — Emily Baker

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2021. 

Baker finds the reunion over-sentimental and clichéd, but ultimately a joyful and transporting return. She praises the cast’s reunion on the familiar set and their reactions to old episodes, while noting that some segments feel unnecessary.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/friends-the-reunion-review-jennifer-aniston-david-schwimmer-matt-leblanc-matthew-perry-lisa-kudrow-courteney-cox-1021306)

## Vulture — Jen Chaney

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2021. 

Chaney finds the reunion warm, funny, and entertaining, though sometimes too treacly. She especially praises the stars’ unscripted moments together, which recapture the feeling of old friends reconnecting.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2021/05/review-friends-the-reunion-is-an-extreme-friends-zone.html)

## Radio Times — Emma Bullimore

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2021. 

The verdict is that the reunion is flawed but nonetheless joyous for fans. The review notes that it only scratches the surface.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/friends-reunion-review/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2021. 

Fienberg finds the reunion enjoyable and emotionally resonant, but says its busy format favors volume over depth. He most praises the cast’s unstructured time together on the recreated set, where their shared memories and longtime rapport come through.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/friends-reunion-1234958850/)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2021. 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No praise or complaint can be reliably reported from the available text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/arts/television/friends-reunion-review.html)

## The AV Club — Gwen Ihnat

Rating C+. 26 May 2021. 

Ihnat finds the reunion affectionate but largely superfluous, with little new information for viewers who already know the show. She praises the cast’s genuine warmth and the emotional impact of seeing them together again on the original set.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/hbo-max-s-friends-the-reunion-is-for-die-hard-fans-onl-1846969370)

## Slant Magazine — Sal Cinquemani

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2021. 

Cinquemani finds the special poignant and eminently watchable, but ultimately a missed opportunity. He praises the cast’s unscripted reminiscing together and criticizes the distracting celebrity segments.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/review-friends-the-reunion-is-a-poignant-eminently-watchable-missed-opportunity/)

## Variety — Caroline Framke

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2021. 

The critic finds the reunion glossy, poignant, and entertaining, but too careful to confront the show’s thornier shortcomings. She praises the cast’s easy chemistry and their uncanny ability to slip back into memorable scenes.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/tv/reviews/friends-reunion-review-jennifer-aniston-matthew-perry-1234980953/)

## IndieWire — Ben Travers

Rating C-. 26 May 2021. 

Travers finds the reunion bizarre and overly staged, arguing that it fails to recreate the intimacy that made the sitcom special. He praises the cast’s unprompted conversations and script readings, especially the opening moments as they return to the recreated sets.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/friends-reunion-review-hbo-max-1234639853/)

## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2021. 

Mangan finds the reunion a mixed bag, ultimately good enough as a nostalgia fest rather than a searching reassessment. She praises the cast’s enduring chemistry, while criticizing the James Corden interview and celebrity cameos as unnecessary padding.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/may/26/friends-the-reunion-review-the-one-that-was-a-nostalgia-fest-and-no-more)

## Evening Standard — Susannah Butter

Rating 2/5. 27 May 2021. 

Butter finds the reunion self-congratulatory and too cautious about the show’s controversies, though ultimately heartwarming. She praises the cast’s chemistry and the natural, engaging conversations about their time together.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/friends-reunion-uk-review-b937451.html)

## HeyUGuys — Alex Clement

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 

Clement calls the reunion a warm, emotional success and an ideal nostalgia trip for fans. The review especially praises seeing the six cast members together again and learning new details about the show.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/friends-the-reunion-review/)

## Paste — Amy Amatangelo

Rating 7.8/10. 26 May 2021. 

Amatangelo finds the reunion charming but says it offers little new and was not worth its reported cost. She especially praises the cast rereading a classic episode and the enduring comedy of the original show.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/friends/friends-reunion-review)

## Collider — Liz Shannon Miller

Fi1m's normalised score 76/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2021. 

The critic finds the reunion entertaining and engaging, and says it rekindles her affection for the series. She singles out the cast’s chemistry and the emotional resonance of Aniston and Schwimmer revisiting Ross and Rachel’s first kiss.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/friends-reunion-review-hbo-max-jennifer-aniston-david-schwimmer-love/)

## Consequence — Clint Worthington

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2021. 

Worthington finds the reunion pleasant fluff that will entertain fans, though it stays shallow and overuses gimmicky segments. He praises the cast’s chemistry and the fan stories that show how the series offered comfort.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2021/05/friends-reunion-special-review/)

## Deadline — Dominic Patten

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2021. 

The critic finds the reunion overlong, sloppy, and largely driven by nostalgia and commerce, though it will satisfy devoted fans. He especially faults the special’s filler-heavy structure and the cast’s cruise-control delivery.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2021/05/friends-the-reunion-review-recap-jennifer-aniston-matthew-perry-hbo-max-special-james-corden-1234763884/)

---
© 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/friends-the-reunion.md