David Ansen of "Newsweek", summarizing the theatrical release, wrote, "The payoff to "The Abyss" is pretty damn silly — a portentous "deus ex machina" that leaves too many questions unanswered and evokes too many other films." In her review for "The New York Times", Caryn James claimed that the film had "at least four endings," and "by the time the last ending of this two-and-a-quarter-hour film comes along, the effect is like getting off a demon roller coaster that has kept racing several laps after you were ready to get off." Chris Dafoe, in his review for "The Globe and Mail", wrote, "At its best, "The Abyss" offers a harrowing, thrilling journey through inky waters and high tension. In the end, however, this torpedo turns out to be a dud—it swerves at the last minute, missing its target and exploding ineffectually in a flash of fantasy and fairy-tale schtick."