Pablo Vázquez of
Fotogramas rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, describing it as "decidedly misanthropic, twisted and autarkic", highlighting "its incorruptible suicidal soul and an imperial Belén Fabra" as the best things about it. Carmen L. Lobo of
La Razón gave the film a 3-star rating, singling out "its claustrophobic atmosphere" and the fact that "it is not politically correct" as the best things about the film, while resenting "several bits of dialogue that sound repetitive and a bit pompous". Juanma González of
Cinemanía rated the film 3½ out of 5 stars, declaring it "a fable about narcissism that does not give a hoot about anything and lacks any sense of the ridiculous". In a 2-star rating, Manuel J. Lombardo of
Diario de Sevilla observed that the film may be interesting "not so much as a reflection on the lack of empathy, but rather as an exercise in style".
Javier Ocaña of
El País assessed that, as in
Butterfly Wings,
El mal displays "the audacity of one who owes nothing to anyone and is unbothered by moral constraints". == See also ==