Most critics respond warmly to Now, Voyager, with praise centred on Bette Davis rather than on the romance alone. The reviews repeatedly credit her with giving a familiar transformation story conviction, vulnerability and a sharper edge than its conventions might suggest. Irving Rapper’s direction also earns approval for its handling of melodrama, while Radio Times singles out Sol Polito’s cinematography. The broad agreement is that the acting makes the film’s emotional appeal persuasive.
Reservations concern the storytelling more than the performances. Variety finds the writing episodic and questions the ending, whereas Empire regards that ending as particularly ingenious. Slant Magazine acknowledges the romance’s indulgence but finds sincerity enough to justify it. The recorded spread runs from strong enthusiasm to qualified approval, with no negative verdicts, though the limited Time Out excerpt and inaccessible New York Times text leave those critics’ broader positions unconfirmed.