Roger Ebert, the influential American film critic, was infamous for his scathing reviews, and few films drew his ire more than Meir Zarchi's 1978 rape-revenge horror I Spit on Your Grave. He branded it "a vile bag of garbage" and "so sick, reprehensible and contemptible" that he could hardly believe it was showing in respectable cinemas, describing the viewing experience as one of the most depressing of his life. His condemnation mattered because Ebert's widely read reviews could shape a film's reputation and box-office fortunes, steering audiences away from work he considered exploitative rather than artistic.

Ebert argued the film had "not a shred of artistic distinction" and lacked any justification for its violent content, unlike other films where he felt violence served a clear artistic purpose. He was particularly disturbed by the audience reaction in the Chicago theatre where he watched it, describing viewers shouting approval during the film's gang-rape scenes. Despite a lukewarm box-office performance, the film sold well on VHS, later gaining a reputation as a notorious cult title largely remembered for the ferocity of Ebert's takedown rather than for its own merits.