Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 27 Ratings

  • Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan
  • Summary: Will sex ruin a perfect relationship between a man and a woman? That's what Harry (Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) debate during their travels from Chicago to New York. 11 years and 2,000 miles later, they're still no closer to finding the answer. And they've never ventured past their friendship to discover the love that's right in front of them. Will these two best friends ever accept that they're meant for each other... or will they continue to deny the attraction that's existed since the first moment When Harry Met Sally? (MGM) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 17
  2. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. 100
    A ravishing, romantic lark brimming over with style, intelligence and flashing wit.
  2. [Reiner] pulls everything together adroitly to make Harry Met Sally a real refreshment. It's what they call a summer picture, which means that, if it's good as this one is-it will seem summery even in winter. [21 Aug 1989, p.26]
  3. Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    80
    The joy comes not from the will-they-won't-they romance between the two leads, but from the sharply written humour from the pen of writer Nora Ephron.
  4. Reviewed by: Staff (Non Credited)
    60
    The plot may seem anything but fresh (and the borrowings from Woody Allen certainly are stale), but director Rob Reiner has a killer instinct for setting up jokes and punchlines.

See all 17 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. DaveB.
    10
    To any of my friends who've heard me rave about this movie since it came out....it's my all time favourite. Not only am I a helpless romantic, but I love the humour especially. Crystal was hilarious and Ryan was beyond cute and attractive. It's the only movie in my life I went and saw at the theatre 10x, taking a new friend each time as I wanted them to enjoy it (plus, there just wasn't much else on at the theatre I wanted to go to instead). Anyways, here it is 15 years later and I own it on DVD (go figure). Enjoy it. Laugh. Bask in it....and I think it has the best closing lines (Crystal to Ryan on New Year's) in the history of movies. Expand
  2. KristinF.
    10
    Best Romantic Comedy I have ever seen.
  3. I'm probably one of the sappiest guys I know. Maybe even abnormally so. It is probably because I grew up with primarily my mother. As a result, I fall for the romantic comedy. I would like to think I like the more intellectually stimulating ones, but most people would probably say I'm fooling myself. I can't stand Pretty Woman, or any other Julia Roberts romantic comedy. Nor can I tolerate pure fluff. Again, maybe I'm naive, but I tend to like the romantic movies that do a little more than the normal romantic fluff.

    When Harry Met Sally redefined (or defined, depending on to whom you talk) the romantic comedy. The dialogue, memorable quotes, flawless acting and directing, as well as the sparkling chemistry between two unlikely actors, When Harry Met Sally is a near-perfect story of two opposites who, over time, grow to realize just how compatible they really are. It's a hopeful friends-to-lovers progression that never seems forced. Rob Reiner adapts Nora Ephron's script and edits it to flawless execution. At no point does the connection seem unnatural. The audience is carried end-to-end and experiences the same maturity through Harry and Sally's relationship, recognizing the imperfections of each character and recognizing elements of each's life in their own lives. When Harry Met Sally set the standard and has been copied poorly by many wanna-bes, but it is the original and worth the time if you have never seen it.
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  4. JayH.
    9
    One of the best romantic comedies of it's era. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal make a surprisingly engaging film pair. The supporting cast is great. Superbly written and directed. The restaurant "orgasm" scene has to be one of the funniest scenes ever filmed. Expand

See all 10 User Reviews