--- title: "Working Girl: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/working-girl/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/working-girl" critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 10 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." --- # Working Girl (1988): what the critics said Critics' score 77 from 10 reviews: 10 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Every review of Working Girl is positive, and the praise gathers around Melanie Griffith. Critics describe her Tess McGill as radiant, scrappy and tenacious, and most agree her performance carries the film. Mike Nichols’s assured direction and a witty screenplay attentive to class come next, then the supporting cast, with Joan Cusack singled out repeatedly and Sigourney Weaver admired as the boss. Several reviews call it a Cinderella story or urban fairy tale and mean it kindly. The spread is narrow, from good to very good, and the reservations are about politics rather than craft. Little White Lies sets the film against 9 to 5 and finds it has traded sisterhood for individual advancement, uneasy that Tess rises by tearing down another woman. Eye for Film calls it darker than its reputation, a bleak political statement dressed up as romance. Roger Ebert, more approving, notes how much of the plotting runs as a thriller. Nobody disputes that it is fun. ## Los Angeles Times — Sheila Benson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 1988. Griffith's radiant, tenacious performance as Tess makes the film sparkle as a compassionate working-girl Cinderella story. Nichols' direction and Wade's screenplay deliver witty dialogue and warmth without condescension. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-21-ca-393-story.html) ## Radio Times — Tom Hutchinson Rating 4/5. The critic praises this appealing executive-suite comedy where Melanie Griffith climbs the corporate ladder by outsmarting her boss Sigourney Weaver. They single out the easy-going treat in Mike Nichols's assured hands and the soundtrack featuring Carly Simon's song. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-q0dnbf/working-girl/) ## The AV Club — Caroline Siede Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2020. The critic praises the film as a timeless example of subversive female-led romantic comedy centered on workplace ambition and solidarity among women. They single out the smart script's handling of class, gender, and harassment dynamics along with strong performances from Griffith, Weaver, and Cusack, plus the masterfully constructed ending. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/working-girl-s-message-is-timeless-even-if-the-hair-an-1841193320) ## Time Out — BC Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic calls it a treat, highlighting the witty screenplay on class differences and the funny interactions between the female leads, especially Joan Cusack. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/working-girl) ## Empire — Angie Errigo Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds it an upbeat urban fairy tale of an oppressed secretary rising to the boardroom, praising Melanie Griffith's delightful performance as the aspirational heroine. They highlight the adroit plotting, Mike Nichols' attention to amusing details, and entertaining quality overall. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/working-girl-review/) ## Little White Lies — Simran Hans Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2017. The piece contrasts Working Girl with 9 to 5, noting its shift from socialist sisterhood to neoliberal individualism and class focus. It praises Tess's self-made moxie and commitment to cheating the system for her own ends, while critiquing the politics of advancing by tearing down another woman. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/1980s-female-comedies-9-to-5-working-girl) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 1988. The film is a clever, suspenseful entertainment with clockwork plotting and strong performances, especially from Melanie Griffith. Nichols returns to top form with a screenplay that balances laughs and thriller elements. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/working-girl-1988) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1987. The review finds the film enjoyable mainly due to Melanie Griffith's scrappy, sexy and unpredictable performance as she rises from secretary to Wall Street whiz. It highlights her tenacity against obstacles and the consistent lighthearted tone, driven especially by her innocent, breathy voice. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1987/film/reviews/working-girl-1117796468/) ## Den of Geek — Aliya Whiteley Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2019. The critic calls Working Girl so much fun, praising its clear good guys/bad guys setup and rooting interest in heroine Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith), a Staten Island woman fighting for her ideas in Manhattan. It highlights the strong supporting turns, especially Joan Cusack, the Cinderella-like transformation and romance, and the film's exploration of class, resourcefulness, and accepting one's place. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/romantic-comedies-movies-new-york-1980s/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 January 2015. Festival review. The film is a smarter and darker take on 1980s corporate ambition than it is often given credit for, with its deft handling of feminist issues making it the female equivalent of Wall Street. It features strong performances from Sigourney Weaver and Melanie Griffith, but ultimately delivers a bleak political statement dressed up as romance. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/working-girl-1988-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/working-girl.md