Some of the movie plays as if it were intended to be tongue-in-cheek, but other parts are played straight, making it appear that Holland and his screenwriter Kevin Falls couldn't make up their minds about what sort of movie they wanted to make.
– Hal Hinson,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
The Temp is as unimaginative as thrillers get, with a plot-by-numbers script and insipid direction.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
As written by Kevin Falls and directed by Tom Holland, The Temp starts well and runs into trouble about midway through.