Most critics take the film seriously and lean positive. The praise gathers around Ōshima’s direction: the careful camerawork that keeps the couple’s sexual exploration disturbing rather than titillating, the exquisite composition, and a claustrophobic, almost ritual handling of erotic obsession. Several reviews treat it as a study of consuming desire and note that the sex scenes grow more complex as the relationship turns desperate. More than one critic admits the hardcore content makes a level-headed judgement harder than it should be.
The reservations cluster on the same material. The Independent finds it difficult and often grim while admiring the artistry, and Eye for Film concedes the repetition may drive some viewers away. The lone negative review, in The Skinny, calls it tedious, says the shock wears off quickly, and argues the endless sex scenes and misogynistic fantasies leave no room for story or character. Three of the twelve reviews are only partly readable, which thins the middle of the spread.