by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Way Back holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critics consensus reads: "The Way Backs occasionally frustrating treatment of a formulaic story is often outweighed by Ben Affleck's outstanding work in the central role." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, and PostTrak reported it received an average 3.5 out of 5 stars from viewers they polled, with 54% saying they would definitely recommend it. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Affleck gives the impression of intimate familiarity with the anguish and self-disgust that dominate Jack's life; this character and project clearly meant something important to him, as the title bluntly suggests, and he gives it his all without overdoing the melodrama." Owen Gleiberman of Variety said that "Ben Affleck is compelling in a drama of addiction and redemption that plays off his own tabloid odyssey. But the tabloid version was better." References External links 2020 films 2020 drama films 2020s English-language films 2020s high school films 2020s sports drama films American basketball films American high school films American sports drama films Bron Studios films Films about alcoholism Films directed by Gavin O'Connor Films scored by Rob Simonsen Films set in California Films shot in Los Angeles Films with screenplays by Brad Ingelsby Pearl Street Films films Teen sports films Warner Bros. films 2020s American films