Hear Me Out: ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is the ultimate Friday night movie

Meg Ryan. Billy Crystal. New York. Could there be a better combo? For a Friday night, nothing beats When Harry Met Sally—the ultimate movie for kicking off the weekend.

The cosy jumpers, the sexual tension, the iconic “I’ll have what she’s having” scene—When Harry Met Sally, scripted by rom-com legend Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, captures every feel-good element of the friends-to-lovers story while cementing itself as one of the most captivating and quotable romantic comedies of modern cinema.

When someone thinks of a ‘Friday night movie,’ action-packed thrillers or escapist genre films might come to mind. Yet, for others, there’s no better way to kick off the weekend than by getting cosy with a classic. With its uniquely warm, feel-good charm, When Harry Met Sally is the perfect tonic.

At its core, the dynamic between Harry and Sally is what propels the narrative. Their transition from adversaries to friends and, eventually, to lovers feels genuinely sincere, showcasing the magic of Ephron’s writing. While Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan bring these characters to life with authenticity and charm, it’s the screenplay that lays the foundation, anchoring Harry and Sally so effectively that they’re not only compelling but effortlessly believable from start to finish.

The story spans several years, capturing a visual style quintessential to the late 1980s. Released in the summer of 1989, When Harry Met Sally carries the unmistakable look of its era, which only enhances its nostalgic charm. Its aesthetic, soundtrack, and humour create a timeless appeal that resonates across generations. When Harry Connick Jr starts warbling, there’s an undeniable warmth and universal allure that’s hard to resist.

The way time passes within the context of the narrative is also a big part of the allure, making audiences feel like they’ve grown alongside the characters throughout the seasons and years. There’s a relatable and familiar air about it, and, of course, the warm hues of autumn and twinkling lights of Christmas and New Year make When Harry Met Sally that much more intimate and, actually, pretty romantic.

The interviews with older couples that are spliced between scenes regaling the weird and wonderful ways these lovely couples have gotten together, the functions of which are fairly obvious, really outline that love is a very personal thing and that Harry and Sally’s ultimate union is a result of their own kind of romance.

The romanticism of New York itself, if a little naive, does seem to play a part, too. The dragging of the Christmas tree through the streets each year, the wanders through Central Park, the decoration of a new apartment; all things that could realistically be hellish for any individual in isolation, but in the film, present an opportunity for love, friendship, or at the very least, a plot point.

When Harry Met Sally is essentially the cinematic equivalent of a warm hug, and on a Friday night worn down from the daily grind and with the weekend firmly in sight, there’s nothing better than the embrace of a comfort movie.

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