Kay's work has been generally well received by the critics. Alicia Cox of Chatelaine wrote on his work in Fugitive Pieces: "Robbie Kay, who plays the young Jakob, gives a remarkable performance with little words and a lot of emotion. When he smiles (which isn't often) you can't help but be affected." Moira McDonald of the Seattle Times describes Kay in the same movie as having "a heartbreaking way of looking utterly lost" and Peter Howell of the Toronto Star , who was critical about the film, wrote "the performances are above reproach, especially Robbie Kay as young Jakob" and "The grandest laurels must be reserved for Robbie Kay ... Relatively new to acting, he invests the role with an intensity of purpose not often seen in an actor of so few years."
