Writing for "The Baltimore Sun", Lou Cedrone addressed the film's muted violence as a response to public criticism of the overt violence in Paramount's "Friday the 13th" films, and noted that, despite its marketing, he did not view it as a slasher film. "The Dayton Journal Herald"s Terry Lawson gave the film a three out of four-star rating, praising it as a "well-made and well-acted little enterprise holds a surprise or two." Jeff Rietveld of the "Santa Clarita Signal" praised the film as "a slasher film for people who don't like slasher films," also commending the acting and direction.