Jay Weissberg of
Variety called the film "a proficiently made crime family drama" and wrote, "Good performances and a plot that generally holds the attention could draw audiences." Weissberg also criticized, "Swab's script puts a lot of emphasis on family relations yet sloppily makes numerous leaps that remain unexplained." Neil Young of
Screen Daily described the film as "a brooding, occasionally bloody crime-thriller with noir and western undertones that is chiefly notable for a strong ensemble cast" and stated, "Swab's strong suit lies in the selection and handling of his performers." Angie Han of
The Hollywood Reporter remarked, "Everything in
Ida Red is exactly what it seems to be, no less and certainly no more. […] Nothing kills excitement like endless repetition — and
Ida Red turns out to be just the latest faint echo of stories we've heard too many times already." Brandy McDonnell of
The Oklahoman wrote, "Swab's vision is getting clearer. With strong performances, solid pacing and intriguing cinematic choices, the Oklahoma filmmaker's gritty new thriller
Ida Red proves the evident progress Swab has been making in practicing his craft."
Glenn Kenny of
RogerEbert.com gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and opined, "The big heist seems to have been staged in a ghost town. Swab wants to get to
Heat but he can't get anything up to a proper temperature." Kenny also commented, "Swab has enough directorial energy to keep the proceedings watchable at the least." ==References==