What Happens Later
Bleecker Street Media | Release Date: November 3, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
5
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleNov 1, 2023
It takes about half the movie, but gradually we realize that we’ve stumbled into something wonderful, that there’s magic happening here, both onscreen and within the lives of the characters. Read full review
90
VarietyCourtney HowardNov 3, 2023
Meg Ryan not only dazzles before the camera in What Happens Later, but behind it as well, as director and co-writer. Through the prism of one former couple’s relationship woes, this effervescent, enlightened romantic comedy explores our innate need for reconciliation within ourselves and with each other. Read full review
81
Paste MagazineTara Bennett Nov 2, 2023
What Happens Later is probably the most rewarding time spent stranded at an airport—literally or figuratively—that we’ll ever experience. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithNov 3, 2023
It’s a pleasure to report that the 100-minute conversation is as wonderful as the actors who deliver it—by turns witty, wistful and revealing, steeped in an appreciation for the hard learning that comes with age. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliNov 8, 2023
Like most rom-coms, it is comfort food although it lacks the fantasy element associated with characters who are less seasoned. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldNov 1, 2023
If you go expecting a slightly quirky romantic drama with touches of magic realism, not to mention the pleasure of seeing Ryan in one of her rare screen appearances these days, I think you might leave happy. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshNov 1, 2023
What Happens Later is so deeply heartfelt, and so beautifully performed, that it stirs something within — a hope, not necessarily for an airport rendezvous, but for a moment of healing, the kind that everyone desires and everyone deserves. Read full review
70
The New York TimesClaire ShafferNov 2, 2023
While it’s unlikely to join the rom-com pantheon, its charming leads and humorous truths do invoke the spirit of Ephron, to whom the film is dedicated. It’s a worthy tribute to her, delivered by perhaps the most qualified person to create one. Read full review
70
Screen RantRachel LaBonteNov 1, 2023
What Happens Later isn't without some hiccups in its execution, but with Ryan at the helm, it's impossible not to feel charmed. Read full review
67
ColliderSamuel WilliamsonNov 3, 2023
You will not walk away from What Happens Later as a changed individual, but if you have a soft spot for light-hearted comedies (specifically romantic comedies, which I usually don't), you'll be sure to find a movie that does its job way better than it needed to. Let's be honest, you'd have to have a cold heart to hate this movie. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisNov 1, 2023
Ryan and Duchovny hold their own in this talky two-hander, navigating their characters’ highs and lows with conviction. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireNov 3, 2023
What Happens Later doesn't reach the heights of Ryan’s beloved romantic comedies, but its sweet comforts might be just the ticket if you’re looking for laughter-through-tears on the couch on a Sunday afternoon. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperNov 1, 2023
This might have worked as a short film or a 30-minute TV episode, but as a feature film, it grows increasingly cloying as the minutes tick on. Read full review
60
TimeStephanie ZacharekNov 8, 2023
What Happens Later, directed by Meg Ryan, works so hard at trying to give us something fresh and novel that I couldn’t help wishing it were better: the cloud of dissatisfaction I felt after watching it kept trying to reshape its molecules into a better movie, albeit one that could live only in my head. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)Alison WillmoreNov 3, 2023
The best parts of What Happens Later are when it lets its characters just be people who still want to find love and find some of its warmth in the embers of this long-ago relationship. It’s too bad there aren’t more of those moments. Read full review
50
ObserverRex ReedNov 2, 2023
It’s been years since either Meg Ryan or David Duchovny appeared in a feature film, but now that they’re back, co-starring in a two-hander called What Happens Later, it’s fairly obvious that neither has forgotten anything about charm or how to keep a mediocre movie alive. They’re still appealing. This film is not. Read full review
50
IndieWireSamantha BergesonNov 2, 2023
There are sparks of chemistry between Ryan and Duchovny that feel reminiscent of better rom-coms, although none quite matching the films that Ryan is most known for. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckNov 1, 2023
While Ryan’s bountiful charm is as evident as ever, her character unfortunately comes across like an older version of the manic pixie dream girl. And the movie’s heavy-handed magical realist elements counter the slightness of the material to deadly effect. Read full review
25
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiNov 2, 2023
A lot of this is typical rom-com fare. The genre is not boundary-pushing and that’s perfectly fine — ideal even. But Ryan doesn’t have the sparkle and fizz as a director to make this lacking material sing. Read full review
20
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeDec 17, 2023
It’s a tonal mess, a film that aims to be an adorably quirky romcom but plays out as such a surreally purgatorial ordeal. Read full review
20
The TelegraphTim RobeyDec 15, 2023
Even when the duo commandeer a luggage cart and trundle around these shiny corridors getting sozzled, we remain prisoners in their departure lounge of the damned. Read full review
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