Most critics respond favourably to Le Trou, with praise clustering around the detailed escape work, convincing performances and steadily mounting tension. The reviews repeatedly stress how much the suspense depends on watching physical labour: digging feels slow, difficult and exhausting, and the patient storytelling builds dread. Several also find warmth and empathy in the prisoners’ relationships. Sight and Sound singles out the natural sound and absence of a musical score as particular strengths.
The clearest reservation comes from The New Yorker, which admires the precise craftsmanship and empathy but argues that silence about the criminal past of the film’s source compromises its perspective. This is a disagreement about what the film leaves unexamined, rather than how effectively it stages the escape. The supplied ratings range from enthusiastic to mixed, with none negative, though two incomplete review texts limit what can be said about the less favourable responses.