Dave Kehr of the "Chicago Tribune" wrote: "As a technician, Winston clearly knows how to make a monster, but as a director he's yet to learn how to bring one to life". Richard Harrington of "The Washington Post" wrote that the film has poor writing and acting, but it is surprisingly polished for a B movie. Chris Willman of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote that, despite its poor writing, the premise is interesting, but it's not executed as well as "Forbidden Planet". "Empire" rated it 2/5 stars and called it a "Friday the 13th" clone with "little atmosphere and no surprises". "TV Guide" rated it 2/5 stars and wrote that the film's second half becomes tedious because of its overdone slasher formula.