The movie got positive reviews from critics. It has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Movie critic Bosley Crowther of the New York Times said that he liked the "tough, tight script" and the "steady and starkly sinister style" that the movie had to it. He finished his review by saying "this is really one of those shockers that provokes disgust and regret." Cady was ranked as #28 on the American Film Institute's list of top 50 movie villains of all time.