--- title: "Hannah and Her Sisters: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/hannah-and-her-sisters/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/hannah-and-her-sisters" critics_score: 90 critics_reviews: 9 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." --- # Hannah and Her Sisters (1986): what the critics said Critics' score 90 from 9 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The consensus is strongly positive: most critics praise Hannah and Her Sisters for combining sharp comedy with an unusually warm, emotionally complex account of family life. Praise clusters around the literate screenplay, the episodic construction and an ensemble that makes the sisters’ romantic entanglements feel substantial rather than merely busy. Michael Caine receives particular attention for the sincerity of his performance, while Empire singles out Dianne Wiest among the supporting cast. The spread is narrow, with differences concerning the film’s place in Allen’s work more than any substantial failure of storytelling or performance. Several reviews place it at or near the top of his work; The Guardian is more restrained, finding it excellent but below Annie Hall and Manhattan. Even that reservation comes with renewed appreciation of Caine, so the disagreement remains about the degree of enthusiasm rather than the reasons to recommend it. ## Radio Times — Andrew Collins Rating 5/5. The review calls it a return to top form with a warm, multi-stranded family saga. It singles out the strong performances by the sisters and Michael Caine's surprising turn as the standout element. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-9ivhf7/hannah-and-her-sisters/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 4/4. 7 February 1986. The critic calls it Woody Allen’s best movie ever, structured like an episodic novel with vignettes that capture the tumult of characters’ lives. He singles out the emotional depth in relationships among the sisters, their partners, and the outsider figure of Mickey. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hannah-and-her-sisters-1986) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls it one of Woody Allen's best films ever, a highly intelligent and witty comedy with a magical script and perfect portrayals of well-rounded characters. They highlight the mature work, witty literate screenplay that deserved its Oscar, and superb supporting performances especially from Dianne Wiest. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hannah-sisters-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Sheila Benson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 1986. The critic declares it the best Woody Allen yet and quite simply a great film, mellow, beautiful, rich, and brimming with love. She singles out its greater emotional complexity, understanding of others’ foibles, and the healing pull of family. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-07-ca-5472-story.html) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 1986. The review praises the film as nonstop exhilaration and a dramatic comedy that sets new standards, warmhearted, wise, and fiercely funny. It highlights the intense family drama about three emotionally dependent sisters and their entanglements. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/07/movies/film-from-woody-allen-hannah-and-her-sisters.html) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 January 2012. The critic describes it as one of Woody Allen's finest films from his mid-1980s prime, an archetypal romantic comedy-drama about neurotic New York liberals with white-on-black title cards, Cole Porter tunes, and Woody as a hypochondriac Marx Brothers fan. They note the screenplay won a Bafta and an Oscar. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/zelig-76-mins-pg-hannah-and-her-sisters-103-mins-15-6283214.html) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1985. The review calls it one of Woody Allen’s great films with nary a misstep in charting the amorous affiliations of three sisters and their men. It praises the successful mixture of outright comedy, rueful meditation, and sexual complications over a two-year period. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/hannah-and-her-sisters-1200426915/) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 22 December 2011. The critic praises the film's sharp one-liners and tender exploration of family life and relationships. It is highlighted as one of Woody Allen's warmest pictures, balancing wit with a joie de vivre. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/hannah-and-her-sisters) ## Evening Standard Rating ********. 10 April 2012. The critic calls it one of Allen's best ensemble dramas, even if he thought he was aping Chekhov at the time. It is presented in repertory with Zelig as a strong double bill of his 1980s work. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/zelig-hannah-and-her-sisters-and-despair-7428160.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 22 December 2011. The re-released film remains an excellent, watchable comedy-drama of complicated New York relationships, though not quite matching Allen's best like Annie Hall or Manhattan. Caine's fervent, dedicated performance stands out as particularly strong and sincere with age. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/22/hannah-and-her-sisters-film-review) ## The Times — David Robinson 18 July 1986. Allen stands alone as one of cinema's great individualists, with this film developing his line of romantic social comedy; it is an essay on the pains and permutations of romantic love centred on the turbulent family life of three sisters and their circle. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/article/hannah-and-her-sisters-15-odeon-leicester-square-mcmtg93mvcp) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 June 2007. The critic calls the film one of Woody Allen's foremost accomplishments in drama and highly recommends it for fans of intelligent adult stories. She praises its elegant construction, top-notch ensemble cast and sumptuous photography. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/hannah-and-her-sisters-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/hannah-and-her-sisters.md