The movie got positive reviews from critics. It has a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Movie critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the movie 3 out of 4 stars and said that he liked the "Cape Fear is impressive moviemaking, showing Scorsese as a master of a traditional Hollywood genre who is able to mold it to his own themes and obsessions. But as I look at this $35 million movie with big stars, special effects and production values, I wonder whether it represents a good omen from the finest director now at work."