 In his contemporary review of "All Things Must Pass", Ben Gerson of "Rolling Stone" wrote that "Beware of Darkness" was possibly the album's best song, commenting on its "enigmatic" music and the combination of "warning" and "affirmation" in its lyrics.AllMusic critic Richie Unterberger similarly views "Beware of Darkness" as one of the highlights of "All Things Must Pass".In his feature on Harrison's solo career for "Goldmine" magazine in 2002, Dave Thompson paired it with "Art of Dying" as songs that "rate among the finest compositions of Harrison's entire career".