---
title: "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning"
critics_score: 78
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."
---

# Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960): what the critics said

Critics' score 78 from 7 reviews: 4 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics respond favourably to Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, with praise clustering around Albert Finney’s performance as Arthur Seaton. The reviews credit him with making Arthur’s cynicism, laddishness and resignation vivid and credible, giving familiar material much of its force. The script also earns praise, while the strongest notices place the film among the leading examples of British kitchen-sink drama.

The recorded scores range from enthusiastic to mixed, with none classed as negative, though the available text gives limited grounds for explaining every reservation. Variety finds the film absorbing but not especially likeable, while praising Reisz’s documentary-informed direction for the convincing industrial-town atmosphere of its locations and interiors. Two other reviews lack accessible verdicts, so their reservations cannot be established: the clearest documented qualification concerns the film’s appeal rather than the credibility of its setting.

## Radio Times — David Parkinson

Rating 5/5. 

Parkinson praises the film as a classic drama and highlights Albert Finney’s astonishing performance. He singles out Finney’s ability to convey Arthur Seaton’s cynicism, laddishness and resignation.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-vtnnga/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning/)

## Empire — David Parkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Parkinson regards the film as one of the finest entries in the British kitchen-sink tradition. He especially praises Albert Finney’s electrifying performance and the strength of the script.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/saturday-night-sunday-morning-review/)

## The Guardian — Guardian staff reporter

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 29 November 1960. 

The critic finds the film triumphantly overcomes familiar themes and becomes a genuine work of film art. They single out Albert Finney’s vivid, credible performance as the chief reason for its success.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/29/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning-film-reviewed-1960)

## Time Out — TM

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 

The available metadata identifies this as a review and describes the film as a major British New Wave box-office success. It singles out the hero’s defiant watchword as part of the film’s appeal.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1959. 

The review finds the film good and absorbing, though not very likeable. It praises Reisz’s documentary-informed direction for giving the locations and interiors an authentic industrial-town atmosphere.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1959/film/reviews/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning-1200419632/)

## Film Comment — Max Nelson

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

The available text does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no specific praise or complaint about the film.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/restoration-row-from-saturday-to-sunday/)

## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 1961. 

The article is a review of the film, but its verdict is unavailable in the accessible page. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the supplied text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/04/archives/screen-different-briton-saturday-night-and-sunday-morning.html)

---
© 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/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning.md