"Though it lacks the gloss and sophistication of its successor - in places, the sets actually shake, and the quality of surviving prints is universally dreadful - this is still a stylish piece of work. Denied colour, Roger Corman plays with light and shadow like a master of film noir. This adds a creepy edge to scenes where Seymour is skulking round the backstreets of the city, an atmosphere which emphasises the agony of his moral dilemma. It's a darker film in every sense, but this is alleviated by some brilliant comic performances from various minor stars of the time, patched together in a quirky style which is positively surreal." - Jennie Kermode, Eye For Film