Manhattan

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Manhattan

R

1979

1h 36m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

72 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Director Woody Allen's love letter to New York City stars Allen as frustrated television writer Isaac Davis, a twice-divorced malcontent facing middle age alone after his wife, Jill (Meryl Streep), leaves him for a woman. Isaac is dating fresh-faced Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), a high school girl he knows is wrong for him, and begins to wonder if he and brainy writer Mary (Diane Keaton), the mistress of his best friend, Yale (Michael Murphy), might make a better couple.

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Critics Consensus

One of Woody Allen's early classics, Manhattan combines modern, bittersweet humor and timeless romanticism with unerring grace.

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John Pym

Sight & Sound

Jul 31, 2018

Allen has always had difficulty harmonising his comic talents and the skittering form of his films: Manhattan is a temporary resolution gratefully received.

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Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

Jan 9, 2018

What George M. Cohan did with the Stars and Stripes in 1919, Allen is doing with neurosis in 1979: waving it, telling us that as long as we're proud of it, we're all pretty damned OK. That's the real romance of Manhattan.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Jun 14, 2017

3/5

A pretty and problematic picture that leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

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Ciaran Carty

Sunday Independent (Ireland)

Feb 4, 2026

Manhattan is a latter-day Modern Times with Allen as a Chaplin of the psyche. But in putting down cultural chic, it comes near to being what it satirises.

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Terry Grimley

Birmingham Mail

Sep 22, 2024

Its basic weakness is that... it limits itself to ground already familiar from Annie Hall and Interiors. It is witty, of course, but by the end I found I was tiring of the characters.

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Photoplay Staff

Photoplay

Nov 16, 2023

Except for its striking black-and-white photography, Manhattan would seem a sequel to Annie Hall. Cast and content rate superlatives. A landmark film, destined to become a classic.

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Ben W

@Username618 Jun 17, 2026

Yeah, so this was... WA making a film in the style of... a french director? Not yet Bergman, or was that Interiors? I'm sorry- it melts my head from the get go. It's not telling a story, it's a diary, wouldn't it be funny if's... Sorry.

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Elora L

@RT10517516 Jun 8, 2026

A problematic film that will leave you wondering. But oh the dialogues...

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom Apr 22, 2026

There’s no denying that Manhattan is a beautifully shot, sharply written film with some of the most iconic black-and-white cinematography ever put on screen. The Gershwin score, the city itself, and the conversational rhythm give it a distinctive identity that’s hard to replicate. That said, it doesn’t quite reach S-tier status for me. The emotional core feels uneven, with relationships that often come across more self-indulgent than genuinely resonant. Some of the dialogue, while witty, leans more toward intellectual posing than real human depth. There’s also a detachment in the characters that keeps the film from fully landing its emotional weight. The film is still excellent—clearly a 9/10—but its tone and thematic distance prevent it from hitting that rare, flawless "all-time masterpiece" tier. It’s more of a stylish, intellectually engaging snapshot of a city and its people than a universally affecting drama.

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matt p

@RT09790479 Dec 1, 2025

brilliant...... but highly problematic a film you will love or loath //but has ny city ever been more spectacular in american film?? and any film with diane keaton and meryl streep is worth experiencing

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Oct 15, 2025

Funny in 1 hour and 36 minutes.

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Faiz D

@RT95588871 May 13, 2025

Manhattan is a warm and emotionally resonant tale about love, loss and being true to one's self.

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Woody Allen

Director

Woody Allen

Isaac Davis

Diane Keaton

Mary Wilkie

Mariel Hemingway

Tracy

Michael Murphy

Yale

Meryl Streep

Jill

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Synopsis

Director Woody Allen's love letter to New York City stars Allen as frustrated television writer Isaac Davis, a twice-divorced malcontent facing middle age alone after his wife, Jill (Meryl Streep), leaves him for a woman. Isaac is dating fresh-faced Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), a high school girl he knows is wrong for him, and begins to wonder if he and brainy writer Mary (Diane Keaton), the mistress of his best friend, Yale (Michael Murphy), might make a better couple.

Director: Woody Allen
Producer: Charles H. Joffe
Screenwriter: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Jack Rollins and Charles Joffe
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 14, 1979, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Mar 10, 2017
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 13, 2015
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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