Naked Ambition: An R Rated Look at an X Rated Industry

Variety wrote "In contrast with Grecco’s evocative photos, his film is scattered and platitudinous, skimming the surface of his subjects and betraying his high-art aspirations with a shallow E! aesthetic. Reliable interest in the subject matter should land the film, which opens theatrically May 1, a home on an adventurous cabler, though such a contentious substratum of American culture deserves more thoughtful treatment."[4]

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Grecco's book is filled with stunning portraits and nicely captures his subjects' personalities", but it was felt the film was too tame and seemed more an extended infomercial for the book.[5]

DVD Verdict made note that Grecco appears to "play the pornography-as-free-speech card," in his depicting pornography as "just regular folks who express themselves through public fornication."[6] The reviewer wrote "the fact that Grecco glosses over the negatives of a business rife with them makes his documentary disingenuous—and worse, boring."[6] It was concluded "in the end, Naked Ambition is as dreary and pedestrian as its punny title. Consenting adults or not, Grecco's subjects are fringe players who doth protest way too much about the wonderfulness of the porn industry, but their rah-rah cheerleading in support of it is more sorry than celebratory."[6]