--- title: "Sleepless in Seattle: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle" critics_score: 72 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." --- # Sleepless in Seattle (1993): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 16 reviews: 14 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. ## Los Angeles Times — Michael Wilmington Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 1993. The critic deems it a real charmer and romantic comedy that almost makes us forget modern-day cynicism, delivering both romance and comedy through its bicoastal dream-lovers premise. He singles out the sparkling performances of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan for their simpatico chemistry and ability to shift between poignancy and wisecracks. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-25-ca-7056-story.html) ## Radio Times — Adrian Turner Rating 4/5. The critic praises it as a gloriously old-fashioned and unashamedly manipulative romantic comedy that works superbly by keeping its stars apart for most of the film, highlighting its box-office success and the effective use of An Affair to Remember as a touchstone. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-wa1zp7/sleepless-in-seattle/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 1993. The critic praises the film's unapologetic romanticism and heartfelt sincerity as it follows two people falling in love via radio across the country. He highlights the appealing lead performances by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and notes the story's warm, gentle charm despite its contrived elements. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/sleepless-in-seattle-1993) ## The AV Club — Caroline Siede Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 June 2018. The critic praises the film's balance of romance and realism through skeptical leads who gradually connect despite limited shared screen time. Ephron's visual parallels, collaborative direction, and strong supporting cast (especially Hanks with his son) are singled out for making the rom-com feel grounded and timeless. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/25-years-ago-sleepless-in-seattle-found-the-romantic-h-1826855118) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 4/5. 11 February 2014. The critic calls it deeply sentimental and less insightful or funny than When Harry Met Sally, but finds it infuriatingly irresistible thanks to strong performances from Hanks and Ryan, a sparkling supporting cast, and snappy dialogue scenes. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sleepless-in-seattle) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2014. The critic praises director and co-writer Nora Ephron for bringing terrific flair, wit and nous to this smart 90s romcom re-release. They highlight the clever reversal of the An Affair to Remember premise and smart humour such as the tiramisu gag. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/feb/13/sleepless-in-seattle-review) ## Empire — Mark Salisbury Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2006. A hugely enjoyable romantic comedy that attacks both the funny bone and tear-ducts with equal success. Ephron's script is often uproariously funny with strong support from the cast, though the soundtrack is sometimes too literal. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sleepless-seattle-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Tina Hassannia Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2013. The review values the film's self-aware take on how media and cultural myths shape ideas of destined love, while affirming its charm as a guilty pleasure. It singles out the exploration of technology's role in idealizing romance and the open-ended Empire State Building finale for its nuance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/sleepless-in-seattle/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 1993. The review finds the film worth seeing for its stars but notes the leads hardly meet, calling the premise a horribly suitable nineties idea of romantic common sense with safe love. It singles out Tom Hanks as the best reason to see the movie, while observing the story glisten with charm rather than buzz with life. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/07/19/1993-07-19-079-tny-cards-000149359) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 1993. The critic calls it a feather-light romantic comedy about lovers who meet only in the final reel, a stunt that works far more effectively than expected and shrewdly manipulates emotions for entertaining effect. He singles out the frequent references to the 1957 film 'An Affair to Remember' as an interesting yardstick for the new movie. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/25/movies/review-film-when-sam-met-annie-or-when-two-meet-cute.html) ## Total Film — Emma Morgan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 February 2014. A joyful rebuff to dating myths that has fun with male-female attitudes to romance. Psychotic undertones aside, it celebrates the romcom's charm on its 21st-anniversary reissue. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/sleepless-in-seattle-1-review/) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 June 1993. The review describes the film as purposefully schmaltzy in a manner that's almost cynical, with an inherent appeal in the setup but a leisurely pace that loses momentum before a heart-tugging finale. It singles out the strong performances by Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and young Ross Malinger as highlights amid the contrived elements. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/sleepless-in-seattle-2-1200432551/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2014. The critic has never understood the film's appeal. The central pair are irredeemably bland and their cutesy long-distance romance is the perfect cure for insomnia. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/sleepless-in-seattle-film-review-9129047.html) ## HeyUGuys — Emily Breen Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2014. The critic celebrates the film's unabashed romanticism and fairy-tale quality as a welcome contrast to more cynical modern love stories. She singles out its graceful handling of the protagonists' connection through witty dialogue and silence for praise. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/valentine-sleepless-seattle/) ## The Ringer — Bereznak Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2022. The piece ranks the film highly among rom-coms, praising its hopeful storytelling, witty elements, and the way it elevates romantics through coincidence, longing, and a leap of faith. It highlights a specific scene of emotional connection via radio and apple-peeling detail as emblematic of its genius. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2022/04/18/movies/rom-com-movies-ranking) ## Paste — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 2023. The critic views the film as an unconventional, chaste, and meta romantic dramedy that ponders romance and movie influences more than delivering sparks or traditional rom-com beats. It singles out the film's self-aware movie references and cultural resonance as a successful yet atypical hit. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/tom-hanks/sleepless-in-seattle-nora-ephron-affair-to-remember) --- © 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/sleepless-in-seattle.md