Jack Mathews of the "Los Angeles Times" likened the film to "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984), but criticized it for its lack of realism. However, Mathews praised the film's underwater visual sequences, noting that they "have the haunting atmosphere typical of Jordan's past horror films," and wrote that "Bening works this role like a sore muscle, or a tooth that needs pulling. It's a courageous, anti-glamour effort, one of those sweat-and-drool "Snake Pit" performances that drives hair and makeup crazy, not to mention mental-health-care providers." "The Washington Post"s Desson Howe similarly praised Bening for "an exhausting, breakout performance," as well as the film's "surrealistic" visuals. Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" awarded the film a C-minus rating, deeming it a "dismayingly schlocky and literal-minded thriller." Emanuel Levy of "Variety" characterized the film as "dark, scary and uncompromising," and surmised that criticisms would result from the film's "convoluted narrative with a downbeat tone and shockingly unconventional ending, which doesn’t provide the genre’s customary pay-off."