As they grow emotionally closer, Cody experiences second thoughts when a series of details seem to contradict Virginia's story, such as the sirens of emergency vehicles that sound North American.

Later, he locates the apartment complex in which she lives, and when he finds evidence of food that she has eaten on Skype in the building's trash, he stops accepting her calls.

[4] Sheil said that, as two shy people, the characters depended on technology as a buffer in order to open up to each other; however, it also made it easier for them to be self-destructive in their relationship.

In order to illustrate Virginia's deception, the set design was deliberate, as Wigon wanted to ensure that it showed she was attempting to hide her location.

[12] Andrew Barker of Variety wrote, "Kate Lyn Sheil and John Gallagher Jr. give excellent performances in Zachary Wigon's impressive debut.

[14] Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times wrote that it "neatly expresses anxieties about love" in a modern context, but "it doesn’t entirely deliver on its promising buildup".

[15] Shelley Farmer of Indiewire rated it "B" and wrote, "While Wigon's film lacks emotional weight, that deficiency is not a matter of style over substance, but an effective comment on the peculiarly isolating nature of modern communication technology.

"[16] Sheila O'Malley of The Dissolve rated it 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Except for its ending, which deflates the tension and makes a brief gesture toward profundity, it’s an unblinking look at one man's total unraveling.

"[17] Neha Aziz of The Austin Chronicle wrote that it "has a deeply compelling storyline and solid performances", but Virginia's back story is lackluster.

[18] Calum Marsh of The Village Voice wrote, "What results is an exemplary mystery, a paranoid thriller rooted in contemporary technology but not crafted to denounce it.

"[19] Tomas Hachard of NPR wrote that the film's deliberate pacing "is central to making The Heart Machine such an unsettling love story".

Club wrote, "The Heart Machine’s denouement is ultimately disappointing, but the film is still one of the more successful cinematic portrayals of online intimacy.

"[21] Jennifer Chang of Under the Radar rated it 3/10 stars and wrote, "Despite Gallagher and Sheil’s acting finesse, an hour and half is simply too long to spend with self-absorbed characters as they sum up all the unpleasantness of online dating.