"By the conclusion of "The Town That Dreaded Sundown", a brief confrontation between the authorities and the killer occurs, but nothing comes of it, the "Phantom" mysteriously vanishing afterwards as if into thin air. In the closing moments, the viewer is left to ponder not only the whereabouts of the culprit, but the effect that such inconceivable crimes can have on a community. "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" leaves one with such striking moments of stark, raw terror that it puts many less serious horror films to shame. After all, these crimes actually happened, and just the thought of that is petrifying." - Dustin Putnam, The Movie Boy