More mixed was Richard Combs writing for "The Monthly Film Bulletin": "Before the film collapses into [...] bathetic nonsense [...] it displays a dramatic rationale and figurative substance that makes it at least as diverting as "Rosemary's Baby", and a cut above the special effects hocus-pocus of its nearer predecessors in the demonology genre." Paul Petlewski for "Cinefantastique" was measured in his assessment: "Although "Audrey Rose" is an honourable film, it isn't particularly memorable or even an important one [...] Its interest is partly historical the Lewton connection and partly aesthetic - the pleasure derived from watching a talented director attempt to transcend his silly material."