"Superbad" received acclaim from critics, with praise going towards the screenplay and performances (particularly Hill, Cera and Mintz-Plasse). On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 88% based on reviews from 208 critics, with an average rating of 7.45/10. The website's consensus reads, "Deftly balancing vulgarity and sincerity while placing its protagonists in excessive situations, "Superbad" is an authentic take on friendship and the overarching awkwardness of the high school experience." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 76/100 based on 36 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A- on scale of A to F.