The film has been rejected by the BBFC for a cinema certificate since 1984.

Lo Squartatore di New York/New York Ripper (1982) outraged many horror filmgoers with its brutal uncompromising depiction of violence. One of the most controversial giallos to come out of Italy. Released ten years after Don't Torture a Duckling (1972) which was also controversial for different reasons. Lucio Fulci has filmed vicious scenes of violence before but New York Ripper takes the cake in violent imagery. As brutal as giallos like Giallo a Venezia (1979) and The Killer is Still Among Us (1986). What makes the violent scenes for some tough to digest are the intense physical emotions of the murderer when killing his victims.

Daring approach by Fulci in making the hardcore horror moments both powerful and ugly. The director had guts in doing a giallo with an extremely unpleasant subject matter. Misunderstood Lucio Fulci film that is one of his finest horror films.