"Chicago Sun-Times" critic Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, praising Thompson and Kendrick's performances and the film's honesty and plausibility. He suspected that "a lot of high school students will recognize elements of real life in the movie." Bruce Feld of "Film Journal International" agreed, calling the film a "dead-on revelation of what high school is really like". "Variety" magazine's Justin Chang thought that Blitz displayed a "terrific ability to embrace people's idiosyncrasies, real or fictitious" and called the cast a "strong ensemble", commending Thompson, Kendrick and D'Agosto in particular. The "San Francisco Chronicle"'s Peter Hartlaub thought that the script "never fails to present an unexpected scenario – usually accompanied by a moment or two of hilarity", but felt that Hal's ultimate failure was anticlimactic and "frustrating for moviegoers who prefer tidy endings". Stephen Holden, however, writing for "The New York Times", believed that the final scenes were a "sign of the movie's integrity". "TV Guide"'s Ken Fox similarly admired the more "real" ending, and wrote that the film was "sharp, observant ... [and wonderfully dry". Desson Thomson of "The Washington Post" praised Blitz for straying from common stereotypes and "opt for deeper, darker and wittier developments".