On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 80 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "It follows a predictable narrative arc, but "Good Will Hunting" adds enough quirks to the journey – and is loaded with enough powerful performances – that it remains an entertaining, emotionally rich drama." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on scale of A to F.