James Berardinelli of "ReelViews" also disliked the film. He gave it 1.5 stars out of 4, saying "The gulf is vast between what the studio wants us to think "John Tucker Must Die" is and what it really is. The marketers and publicists would have us believe this is a dark, edgy teen comedy about a band of two-timed girls taking revenge on the school's biggest hunk. Unfortunately, Betty Thomas' film is neither dark nor edgy (although it occasionally tries masquerading in those categories), nor is it particularly funny." He goes on to mention "The movie may be able to bamboozle a few teen female fans into multiplexes, but it's hard to imagine any of them – even those who swoon at the sight of Jesse Metcalfe – labeling this as better than forgettable. And for anyone outside that demographic unfortunate enough to endure "John Tucker Must Die", the memory will be too painful to fade quickly."