ruthe stein of the "san francisco chronicle" said the film is "in the tradition of those classics, in black-and-white and starring peter sellers or alec guinness, in which disasters keep piling up, each one more drolly funny than the last. that's high praise for "death" but no more than it deserves. the humor manages to be simultaneously sophisticated, supremely silly and very dark...the casting couldn't be better. with no big stars to upset the balance, the actors work together as a true ensemble, the best since "little miss sunshine"."