The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. Film critic Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times wrote in his review: "Almost nothing about “Illicit” rings true — but thanks to the likable, earnest and attractive cast, and the semi-salacious, soap-opera vibe to the proceedings, my attention never wandered, and I'll admit I was mildly curious about how everything would play out."[3]Joe Leydon from Variety also gave it a negative review, writing:
Directing from a script he co-wrote with Lanett Tachel — who shamelessly sashays through her clichéd role as Sasha’s sassy and curvy BFF — Grant doesn’t do himself any favors by needlessly protracting scenes that need far more snap to be at all effective... “Illicit” is too tepid to qualify as an erotic thriller, or even a guilty pleasure, and the performances range from over the top to tiresomely obvious. To be fair, however, it should be noted that there is at least one genuinely surprisingly twist at the very end."[4]
Carla Renata from The Curvy Film Critic compared Illicit with classic thrillers Fatal Attraction and Double Jeopardy, and Obsessed and praised Michele Weaver's performance as Faren.[5]
