Eric Kohn at indieWIRE:
"Marked by interchangeably trite and witty dialogue, Whatever Works is the definition of a minor Woody Allen movie. The director's triumphant return to New York City after several years of European excursions finds him in familiar, if not exemplary, form. Most people on the Allen bandwagon will likely view this outing as a charming mediocrity."
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Frank Scheck in The Hollywood Reporter:
"Marking Woody Allen's first NYC-shot film in five years, Whatever Works, falls somewhere in between his lesser London efforts Scoop and Cassandra's Dream and his return to form with Vicky Cristina Barcelona. While this comedy starring Larry David doesn't break any new ground for its creator in either style or content, it features enough genuine laughs to give it decent commercial traction, at least in the big cities.
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David D'Arcy in Screen Daily:
"Writing a New York story and shooting at home has given Allen a sureness to his voice. The dialogue here has a familiar ring yet a crackling freshness. Caustic but oddly humane, Whatever Works is the director's best film in more than a decade."
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Ronnie Scheib in Variety:
Whatever Works, Woody Allen's prodigal return to New York, takes the disconcerting form of a disquisition on quantum physics, love and chance, ranted directly to the camera by terminally misanthropic Larry David. Though stuffed with witty one-liners and wondrously convoluted tirades, this far-fetched, deliberately artificial game of musical chairs — in which mismatched characters encircle, attract and repel each other — feels forced, often losing itself in excess verbiage."