While professional critics (mostly representing a liberal, coastal media elite) gave it a low 25–27% on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences gave it a high score (around 82%). This disparity highlighted the political and cultural divide, with many viewers finding it a moving story of personal survival.

Noted conservative pundit Ben Shapiro tweeted about the film: “I’ve seen ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ Amy Adams and Glenn Close are both terrific. The movie is a well-told family drama. The reason the critics are crapping all over it is simple: the book was treated as humanizing ‘Trump supporters,’ and is now a Bad Book™. So the movie is also Bad™.”