On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 255 reviews, with an average rating of 7.44/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The main characters are maturing, and the filmmakers are likewise improving on their craft; vibrant special effects and assured performances add up to what is the most complex yet of the "Harry Potter" films." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 81 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.