--- title: "When Harry Met Sally...: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 12 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." --- # When Harry Met Sally... (1989): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 12 reviews: 9 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to When Harry Met Sally…, with praise centred on Nora Ephron’s sharp dialogue and the ease of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan’s performances. The favourable reviews find wit and emotional understanding in its treatment of sex, dating and friendship, crediting Rob Reiner’s sympathetic direction with giving the conversations room to work. New York’s locations and the jazz soundtrack also draw praise for making the romance inviting without overwhelming the characters. The disagreement is substantial rather than a matter of minor reservations. Empire questions both the credibility of the central friendship and how far the film pursues its premise, while still enjoying its humour and setting. The New York Times finds amusing lines but too much sentimentality and familiarity. The New Yorker is the strongest dissenter, seeing thinly developed characters and sitcom routines where most critics find convincing intimacy. ## Radio Times — Robyn Karney Rating 5/5. The review praises the perfect teaming of Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in this romantic comedy about whether men and women can be friends without sex. It highlights the glitzy New York locations, beguiling soundtrack and expert, irresistible escapist entertainment. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-x6ktrp/when-harry-met-sally/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 5/5. 11 December 2015. The critic declares the film perfect and Nora Ephron’s finest work, praising its flawless script, central performances, New York photography and jazz soundtrack. Everything works in this pitch-perfect romantic comedy. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/when-harry-met-sally) ## Los Angeles Times — Sheila Benson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 July 1989. Director Rob Reiner and screenwriter Nora Ephron deliver a witty, affectionate look at modern romance and marriage through sparkling dialogue and character growth over 11 years. The film stands out as the summer's unqualified delight with its hopeful tone and memorable scenes. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-14-ca-3848-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 1989. The film is a sunny, witty love story about two people who take 12 years to realize they are meant for each other. It benefits from strong chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan and Nora Ephron's sharp dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/when-harry-met-sally---1989) ## Little White Lies — Glenn Heath Jr Rating 3/4/4. 11 December 2015. The review calls the film a cynically lovely and whip-smart archetype for the modern rom-com that remains fresh despite countless imitators. It singles out Ephron’s playful script exploring contradictions in romance and the intimate, lived-in performances. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/when-harry-met-sally-1989) ## Sight and Sound — Pam Cook Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The critic admires Nora Ephron’s acerbic writing and Rob Reiner’s intimate, sympathetic direction of the central characters. She highlights the film’s playful nostalgia for classic Hollywood romances alongside its 1980s melancholy and the memorable fake-orgasm scene. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/rob-reiner-directs-with-sympathy-both-main-characters-when-harry-met-sally-reviewed-1989) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2015. The critic calls the film a 1989 gem that re-invented the metropolitan romantic comedy by blending sharp dialogue with emotional literacy. The famous fake-orgasm scene and the script’s handling of sex, dating and friendship are singled out as highlights that still make it a treat. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/10/when-harry-met-sally-rerelease-film-review-nora-ephron) ## Empire — David Hepworth Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2011. The critic notes that the film's central theme is not pushed far enough to be gripping and questions the believability of the central friendship and chemistry between leads. That said, Reiner is praised as an un-neurotic filmmaker and the film is celebrated for its New York setting and enduring appeal as a funny, cheerfully vulgar romantic comedy that frames the sexual dilemmas of its era. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/harry-met-sally-review/) ## The New York Times — Caryn James Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 1989. Rob Reiner's film is a cute, sentimental sitcom-like version of a Woody Allen romance, full of amusing lines but hollow and reliant on deja vu. It romanticizes the lives of neurotic New Yorkers while debating whether men and women can be friends. [Read the review](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEFDB1630F931A25754C0A96F948260) ## The New Yorker — Terrence Rafferty Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 1989. The movie inflates a screwball idea into a shallow, self-satisfied sitcom that strings together shtick instead of delivering genuine craft or plot. It reaches for sincerity but ends up phony, with characters left underdeveloped despite the cast's efforts. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1989/08/07/lies-lies-and-more-lies) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge 28 December 2016. The critic calls the film a beautiful, brainy, touching and lilting romantic comedy that should touch the heartstrings of lovers everywhere. Reiner’s direction is praised as gracefully and powerfully accenting Ephron’s script, with strong praise for the performances of Crystal and Ryan. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/harry-met-sally-1989-review-959579/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Rating **. 31 December 1988. Nora Ephron's script cuddles up to audiences with unrelenting cuteness about platonic friendship turning romantic, aided by Rob Reiner's deft direction. The material engages until plot mechanics make it feel shapeless, with the only unpredictability being the long wait for the couple to connect. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1988/film/reviews/when-harry-met-sally-meg-ryan-billy-crystal-1200427730/) ## Collider — Meredith Loftus Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2022. The critic praises Ephron's realistic dialogue and the natural chemistry between Crystal and Ryan as they portray a decades-long friendship turning romantic. The iconic deli scene and the film's timeless New York love story are highlighted as enduring strengths. [Read the review](https://collider.com/when-harry-met-sally-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ali Plumb Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2015. The critic calls it quite simply one of the best romantic comedies ever made, praising its sharp script, strong lead chemistry, and memorable scenes like the deli fake orgasm. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a777435/when-harry-met-sally-re-reviewed-why-billy-crystal-and-meg-ryans-tumultuous-friendship-still-rings-true/) --- © 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/when-harry-met-sally.md