, ▁writing ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁" is ▁very ▁good ▁at ▁getting ▁the ▁details ▁of ▁sub urban ▁life ▁right — in ▁other ▁words , ▁it ▁sets ▁its ▁stage ▁beautiful ly — but ▁when ▁it ▁comes ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁terror ▁to ▁begin , ▁the ▁whole ▁thing ▁is ▁very , ▁very ▁silly ." ▁Gary ▁Arnold ▁of ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁observed ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁" look s ▁and ▁feels ▁decided ly ▁patch y , ▁as ▁if ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁assemble d ▁by ▁different ▁hands ▁frequently ▁working ▁at ▁cross ▁purposes ." ▁She ila ▁B enson ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁wrote , ▁" In ▁terms ▁of ▁simple , ▁flat - out , ▁roof - r att ling ▁fright , ▁' Pol ter ge ist ' ▁gives ▁full ▁value . ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁story , ▁however , ▁simple ▁is ▁indeed ▁the ▁word , ▁and ▁d umb ▁might ▁be ▁a ▁better ▁one . ▁And ▁when ▁so ▁many ▁effects ▁are ▁lav ished ▁on ▁a ▁story ▁this ▁fra il , ▁you ▁have ▁a ▁l ops ided ▁film ." ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁has ▁continued ▁to ▁receive ▁recognition ▁over ▁ 3 5 ▁years ▁after ▁its ▁release . ▁Pol ter ge ist ▁was ▁selected ▁by ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁The ▁Best ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁Mov ies ▁Ever ▁Made . ▁The ▁film ▁also ▁received ▁recognition ▁from ▁the ▁American ▁Film ▁Institute . ▁The ▁film ▁ranked ▁number ▁ 8 4 ▁on ▁A FI ' s ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Years ... 1 0 0 ▁Th r ills ▁list , ▁and ▁the ▁line ▁"