Ron Cowan of "The Statesman Journal" criticized the film for boasting "little originality in storyline or style, relying instead on the sheer energy and determination it brings to bloodletting." Bruce Bailey of the "Montreal Gazette" wrote: "This film is so sick, it ought to be hospitalizedpermanently. "The Boogey Man" mixes a bit of sex with standard shock devices, primordial fears and Freudian jealousies. It blends them into something which is tawdry, rather than a good old-fashioned spine-tingler." Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film a favorable 3 out of 4 stars, writing, "German art film actor-director Lommel lends unconventional angle to this combination of "The Exorcist" and "Halloween". Effects are quite colorful, if somewhat hokey."