▁the ▁number ▁zero ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁par ody ▁of ▁a ▁Mac G uff in ▁in ▁the ▁film . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁film ▁has ▁been ▁compared ▁to ▁Er aser head ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁un con vent ional ▁narr ative ▁and ▁black - and - white ▁film ing ▁style . ▁Par alle ls ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁drawn ▁between ▁the ▁film ▁and ▁Expression ist ▁film ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁Sil ke ▁Hor st k otte ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁gest ures ▁of ▁the ▁actors ▁and ▁sur real ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁school ▁also ▁recall ▁silent ▁film ▁convent ions . ▁ ▁The ▁imag ery ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁has ▁been ▁character ized ▁as ▁" be f ud d ling ", ▁" p uzz ling ", ▁and ▁" m yst er ious ". ▁ ▁Peter ▁Stack ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle ▁said ▁that ▁several ▁scenes ▁featuring ▁m im ing ▁were ▁particularly ▁well ▁made . ▁Phil ▁Hall ▁of ▁W ired ▁pra ised ▁what ▁he ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁" mar vel ous ▁t ension " ▁between ▁R yl ance ▁and ▁Kr ige . ▁He ▁also ▁app la ud ed ▁the ▁focused ▁and ▁controlled ▁performances ▁by ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁cast . ▁David ▁S orf a ▁pra ised ▁R yl ance ' s ▁port ray al ▁of ▁Jakob ' s ▁emot ions ▁as ▁" sub t le ". ▁ ▁Michael ▁At kin son ▁pra ised ▁the ▁film ' s ▁original ity , ▁stating ▁that ▁at ▁times ▁it ▁is ▁compar able ▁to ▁the