Reviewers have pointed out a degree of poignancy on the part of the monstrous Quintillus as he searches for the reincarnation of the woman he loves. American science fiction film scholar Bill Warren noted that a 1958 review of the film in the "Motion Picture Herald" said that "there is in the primeval surge of the blind, grappling relic of historic tragedy, a certain poignance". American film critic Bryan Senn agreed, writing that "while little more than a walking statue, this Vesuvian villain's doomed motivation and unique appearance combine to make it a monster both poignant and creepy".