Holy Ghost People was meant to be an even-handed portrayal of Pentecostal Christians, and the film was written to explore both the positive and negative aspects of faith.

[11] Jim Harrington of the San Jose Mercury News called it "a relentless psychological thriller that features a solid script and even better acting.

[13] Joshua Starnes of Shock Till You Drop rated it 6/10 stars and wrote, "The production is slick and the film is beautifully shot, but it’s missing that spark to become more.

"[14] Evan Dickson of Bloody Disgusting rated it 3/5 stars and wrote that the film is "a well shot piece of work with an intriguing premise and several amazing performances", but the ending "teeters dangerously close" to going off the rails.

[17] Inkoo Kang of the Los Angeles Times wrote the film "boasts great performances and urgent, intimate camera work" but "makes nasty beasts of the very people Adair strived to humanize".