Roger Ebert stated that "Set It Off" is "a lot more" than a thriller about four women who rob banks. Comparing it to "Waiting to Exhale", but "with a strong jolt of reality," he said, "It creates a portrait of the lives of these women that's so observant and informed." He gave the film three and a half stars, and added, "The movie surprised and moved me: I expected a routine action picture and was amazed how much I started to care about the characters."