The film alternates between two storylines, showing two paths the central character's life could take depending on whether she catches a train.

It has drawn numerous comparisons to Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski's 1987 film Blind Chance, the outcome of which also hinges on whether the protagonist catches a train.

In the storyline in which she boards the train, Helen sits beside James, who had picked up her earring in the lift, on the Underground, and they strike up a conversation that cheers her up.

James befriends Helen and she begins to move on from Gerry as he cheers her up and encourages her to start her own small PR firm.

In the storyline in which Helen misses the train, she is further delayed by an attempted mugging, which leads to a hospital visit.

[12] The Patty Larkin cover of "Tenderness on the Block" that plays during the final scene was never released due to copyright and recording issues.

[13] It also saw success in the United Kingdom and was the highest-grossing local production for the year with a total box office gross in excess of £12 million.

The critics consensus reads, "Despite the gimmicky feel of the split narratives, the movie is watchable due to the winning performances by the cast.

In it, Frasier struggles deciding whether to wear a suit or a sweater to an upcoming Valentine's Day speed-dating event.

The aftereffects of either decision are explored, although the episode ends identically with both timelines intersecting as Frasier, having failed to get a date, drives to a caller's workplace to woo her.

[20] The Broad City season 4 episode "Sliding Doors" shows the origin story of Abbi and Ilana's friendship cut between two timelines.

[22] The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season 4 episode "Sliding Van Doors" centers on the film, showing an alternate timeline where Kimmy Schmidt does not get in her kidnapper's van in 1998 because she does not want to miss a screening of Sliding Doors.

[23] Other shows to use a premise similar to Sliding Doors, but without directly referencing the film, include Doctor Who,[24][25] Malcolm in the Middle, and Community.