Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" called the film "hilariously awful," and stated, "A good deal of money has been spent on this nonsense, which was shot in Buenos Aires in English. It pretends to be a psychological-political melodrama but plays like the work of a dilettante; that is, the work of someone who wants to make movies, has the means to make them, but doesn't, as yet, know what he wants to make them about." Writing for the "Chicago Tribune", Dave Kehr called the film "A definite oddity, though not an entirely compelling one...turns what might have been a modestly successful psychological thriller into a messily failed art film." Kevin Thomas's review in the "Los Angeles Times" lead with ""Zero" Doesn't Add Up as a Thriller," adding "Nothing, however, makes much sense right from the start. Unfortunately, the long-winded "Apartment Zero" is awkward to the point of ludicrousness."