, on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 67% approval rating with an average of 5.1/10 based on 6 reviews. In the years since its release, the film has developed a cult following. In 2017, "Complex" magazine named "The Prowler" the 24th-best slasher film of all time. The following year, "Paste" included it in their list of "The 50 Best Slasher Movies of All Time," while the film's killer was ranked the 11th-greatest slasher villain of all time by "LA Weekly".