"TV Guide" gave "Carnival of Souls" a score of three stars out of four, praising the film's atmosphere, acting, and eerie score, calling it, "A chilling ghost story with artistic pretensions." "Film Reel.com" gave "Carnival of Souls" a positive review, praising the film's atmosphere, slow-building tension, and disturbing visuals. Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 86%, based on , with a rating average of 7.48/10. The site's consensus states that the film "offers delightfully chilling proof that when it comes to telling an effective horror story, less can often be much, much more".