Devarsi Ghosh of India Today called it "a very well-made, confident film that fearlessly eschews Bollywoodisms and just exists in its distinctive rhythm; never for a second, feeling the need to shock and impress the audience".

[3] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave it a rating of 4 stars out of 5, calling it "absolutely unmissable", also adding "laced with sly wit and captivating storytelling feints, Island City touches heights that Hindi films do only once in a blue moon".

[4] Calling it a "stellar debut film", Sarit Ray of Hindustan Times gave it four stars.

[5] Kunal Guha of Mumbai Mirror rated it 3.5 stars, adding "Island City is a compelling watch".

[6] Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India, who rated the film with 3.5 stars, said "... this one deserves to be watched for its riveting take on love, longing and loneliness".