Empire by Kim Newman

A well observed and deeply tender tale.

Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert

What makes Atlantic City sweet -- and that's the word for it -- is the gentleness with which Lou handles his last chance at amounting to something, and the wisdom with which Sally handles Lou.

Newsweek by David Ansen

Sarandon is touching and funny--a truly fresh performance. But the movie's sweet, elegiac heart belongs to Lancaster. Lou may be the role of his lifetime, and he carries it gently, obviously cherishing the gift. [06 Apr 1981, p.103]

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Jay Scott

As Lou, an almost prissily natty numbers runner certain that everything - even the ocean - has deteriorated, Burt Lancaster gives the performance of his life. [17 Apr 1981]

The A.V. Club by Noel Murray

This is a gentle, warm, well-acted movie, and easy to like.

Variety by Staff (Not Credited)

Film is blessed with a spare, intriguing script by Yank John Guare, which always skirts impending cliches and predictability by finding unusual facets in his characters and their actions.

Time Out by Staff (Not Credited)

Witty, warm, but never sentimental, it also benefits from being set in the fading glories of the resort town of the title: grand seaside facades behind which lie more mundane realities, surrounded by decay and demolition.

The New York Times by Vincent Canby

A rich, gaudy cinema trip.

Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas

Atlantic City is a sophisticated fairy tale, beautifully acted and beautiful to behold; it is as funny as it is touching.

Chicago Reader by Dave Kehr

Malle's slow, deliberate direction tends to flatten out the script's emotional rhythms—he's stern and arty where a lighter sensibility might have been more appropriate—but the film is still a shimmering success.