Most critics are firmly in favour. Ten of the twelve reviews are positive, and the praise gathers almost entirely around Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, whose performances are described as fearless, grotesque and chilling, with Davis in particular credited for going furthest. Several critics also admire the film’s mix of psychodrama and black comedy, and its merciless view of a Hollywood that discards its stars once they age. A few note Aldrich’s direction and the vivid black-and-white cinematography as sharply constructed.
The reservations are few but pointed. Variety finds the opening inept and slow before the pace picks up, and Empire admits the mood makes for uncomfortable viewing. The one outright dissent comes from The New York Times, whose review on release treats the film as grisly horror rather than drama and objects to its excess. The spread is otherwise narrow, with the newer reviews warmer than the older ones.