In 2006, Eric Henderson of "Slant" gave the film an unfavorable review, writing: "A lesbian panic melodrama in New England gothic drag, the only things separating "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" from its cinematic descendants are its narrative incoherence, its lack of a directorial presence (especially surprising considering the colloquial implications of the director's name), its drab, douche commercial mise-en-scène." Author and independent filmmaker John Kenneth Muir gave the film 3 1/2 out of 4 stars, praising the film's cinematography, "unsettling" mood, and its ability to generate a sense of unease, calling it "very disturbing" and noting its "lovely and poetic" visuals. Film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film 2 1/2 out of a possible 4 stars, calling it "creepy."