Most critics respond warmly to The Last Laugh, with praise clustering around Murnau’s direction and Karl Freund’s inventive cinematography. The reviews repeatedly value the way images convey humiliation and inner distress, making the doorman’s experience vivid without relying on verbal explanation. Several also find substantial social criticism in its treatment of inequality, authority and individual dignity. Across the favourable responses, technical invention serves a recognisable concern for people whose standing in society is precarious.
The spread runs from wholehearted admiration to qualified respect, with six positive assessments, two mixed and none negative. Reservations centre on whether the storytelling sustains the achievement of the camerawork, particularly towards the close. Empire finds the ending unconvincing but still considers the film impressive. Eye for Film is more doubtful about how well it holds up, admiring Freund’s cinematography while finding the ending tacked on.