A. O. Scott of "The New York Times" wrote that despite "its shortcomings" on political subjects, it "succeeds brilliantly in telling the story of a man who falls in love with his best buddy's girlfriend and doesn't know what to do about it." Tim Appelo of "Seattle Weekly" praised "the marvelous acting, the sensitive, utterly realistic treatment of the young-love triangle," adding: ""The Edukators" is educational—not intellectually, but emotionally." "Washington Post" critic Stephen Hunter praised the film's realism: "The whole thing feels messy, painful, funny and believable, just like that hideous circus known as real life." "The Times" Howard Swains wrote that it "manages to combine political discourse, a love-triangle and a hostage plot, all without sacrificing its graceful humour." "Los Angeles Times" critic Carina Chocano described it as a "sweet, funny and gripping romantic adventure," and "The only accurate, ironic and poignant depiction of what it's like to be young and socially committed in the WTO era". Chocano choose it as one of the 13 best films released in 2005.