On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a "Certified Fresh" 76% rating based on 67 reviews. The site's critics consensus reads, "Flawed but eminently watchable, Joel Schumacher's teen vampire thriller blends horror, humor, and plenty of visual style with standout performances from a cast full of young 1980s stars." On Metacritic it has a rating of 63% based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A−" on scale of A+ to F.