rotten tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 14% of seven surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 3/10. metacritic rated it 37/100 based on six reviews. frank scheck of "the hollywood reporter" called it a dull film that "never manages to achieve the dramatic tension or satiric social commentary to which it aspires". though he complimented the film's attention to period detail, ernest hardy of "the village voice" wrote, "the film itself, despite being based on a larger-than-life true story, is limp and anemic." wes greene of "slant magazine" rated it 2/4 stars and called the film style over substance. rodrigo perez of indiewire rated it d− and wrote, "tiresomely told, uninteresting, and turgid, "electric slide" is as insipid as it gets — a meaningless movie about almost nothing at all." brian orndorf of "bluray.com" awarded the film 3/10 and wrote, "the only performer who registers with unpredictability is lambert, making a rare screen appearance as a hot-headed kingpin surrounded by bikini-clad women. he’s a small offering of aggression in a flatlining film."