Panic Room (2002)

77% of critics liked it
(180 reviews)
61% of users liked it
(210,615 ratings)

A well-regarded spec script by A-list screenwriter David Koepp became this stylish thriller from director David Fincher. Jodie Foster stars as Meg Altman, a single mother of an diabetic preteen daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart). Meg's going through an unhappy divorce that forces her and Sarah to… More A well-regarded spec script by A-list screenwriter David Koepp became this stylish thriller from director David Fincher. Jodie Foster stars as Meg Altman, a single mother of an diabetic preteen daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart). Meg's going through an unhappy divorce that forces her and Sarah to move into a new home. They choose a deluxe New York brownstone that coincidentally boasts an unusual feature: a "panic room," a vault-like hidden space capable of literally sealing itself off from the rest of the building. With its thick steel door on springs, separate ventilation and communications systems, and video monitors linked to cameras mounted throughout the home, the room is an impregnable fortress. It quickly comes in handy when the Altmans' new residence is invaded by a trio of thieves: Junior (Jared Leto), Burnham (Forest Whitaker), and Raoul (Dwight Yoakam). Meg and Sarah are able to secure themselves in the panic room before the robbers can get to them, but it turns out that Sarah's medication is still on the outside, the phone's not yet connected, and the loot the gang's seeking is inside the panic room with them. A cat-and-mouse battle of wits ensues, with Meg trying to outwit their captors over the course of one very long night, as her daughter's health dissipates. Panic Room (2002) co-stars Ann Magnuson, Patrick Bauchau, and Koepp's fellow screenwriter, Andrew Kevin Walker, in a cameo role. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: David Fincher
Written By: David Koepp
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Mar 29, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Sep 17, 2002
Studio: Sony Pictures

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy, Variety
A thinking-man's women-in-jeopardy picture, Panic Room does about as much as humanly possible with its deliberately restricted one-setting premise.
Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune
Fincher mounts some clever, tense sequences in which the trio devises increasingly threatening strategies to force Meg and Sarah out of the panic room, only to be matched with improvised ingenuity from behind the vault door.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
... one of the most ingenious and entertaining thrillers I've seen in quite a long time.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Foster nails the role, giving a tight, focused performance illuminated by shards of feeling.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
It's difficult to work up a strong case of the heebie-jeebies when you keep getting thrown out of the movie by all the atrocious acting.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
It's a treat for the eyes and ears.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Extreme suspense, graphic violence; not for kids.
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
Valuing logic over brutality, David Fincher's claustrophobic ride also touted the real-world practicality of keeping quiet over the cinematic kicks of a loud thriller. It's like "Wait Until Dark" with helplessness that's emotional, not just physical.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Apart from one plot twist too many, "Panic Room" is a seamless suspense-thriller with a top-notch cast.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
There are so little things you can do with this story and a lot of it is pretty contrived.
Todd Gilchrist, IGN Movies
David Fincher directs a nail-biter starring Jodie Foster about a mother and daughter who defend their house against a brutal home invasion.
Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound
[Allows] Fincher to shine as the skilled, stylish director that he is.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
After his mind-bending, exhilarating Fight Club, director David Fincher takes on a more conventional Hollywood thriller.
Caroline Westbrook, Empire Magazine
Ultimately, this is just a big, dumb, commercial suspenser - but it's one of the best for ages, reminding us that it is still possible to make a high quality piece of popcorn entertainment.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Fincher is such a technically brilliant director that he can elevate a genre film--a suspenser about a damsel-in-distress--above its melodramatic trappings. The confined space (whole movie is set within a house) is no big challenge for him.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Never averse to glistening darkness, meaty metaphor or grandiloquent technical display, Fincher is also surprisingly at home with hokum.
David Grove, Film Threat
Panic Room is a very scary film, well made and lovingly dark, and it illustrates how terrified we are of becoming the victims we see on TV.
Jordan Hiller, Bangitout.com
The panic room itself is a provocative concept and it says something about modern society, but I'm not sure if it deserved its own movie.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
The rich in Panic Room are under siege, and the overgrown fortress of their self-indulgence seems helpless to defend itself.
Douglas Pratt, Movie City News
The film has some nice psychological development and stimulating moral conflicts, but it is basically a bite-your-nails suspense film and makes no bones about it.

Read all 22 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Film C

I enjoyed this movie and found incredibly suspenseful, its got a great cast and its just a thoroughly enjoyable suspenseful movie thats worth a watch! Its tense watching but you'll be satisfied by the end!
Albert K

"Panic Room" is nothing more than a thriller -- an incredibly nerve-racking and tense thriller that is sure to entertain. This is another one of those movies that completely commits its setting in one place but yet the direction, editing, and narrative drives this thriller… More
"Panic Room" is nothing more than a thriller -- an incredibly nerve-racking and tense thriller that is sure to entertain. This is another one of those movies that completely commits its setting in one place but yet the direction, editing, and narrative drives this thriller to be a pulse-pounding epic that is sure to be remembered.
Sam B

While it gets off to a bad start, Panic Room ends up being an extremely intense thriller with a truly inventive use of its concept. Its script isn't as strong as some of David Fincher's other movies, but it boasts good performances (especially from Whitaker) and great… More
While it gets off to a bad start, Panic Room ends up being an extremely intense thriller with a truly inventive use of its concept. Its script isn't as strong as some of David Fincher's other movies, but it boasts good performances (especially from Whitaker) and great direction. It's not up there with my favorite Fincher films, but it is very rare when a movie actually makes me sweat a little. And I never thought I'd say that the greatest suspense revolves wonderfully around...Kristen Stewart...who, as a child, showed some *gasp* real promise.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Cast: Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, Kristen Stewart, Dwight Yoakam, Jared Leto, Ann Magnuson, Patrick Bauchau Director: David Fincher Summary: A woman and her daughter are caught in a game of cat-and-mouse with three burglars in their New York City home and are forced to… More
Cast: Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, Kristen Stewart, Dwight Yoakam, Jared Leto, Ann Magnuson, Patrick Bauchau Director: David Fincher Summary: A woman and her daughter are caught in a game of cat-and-mouse with three burglars in their New York City home and are forced to retreat inside a vault. As the intruders try to breach the room's security, the embattled duo must stay one step ahead. My Thoughts: "What's scary about this film is that it's realistic. This kind of thing happens. Unfortunately not all of us have a panic room to run to. I think the panic room scares me almost as much as having murderous robbers in my house. I couldn't imagine being in such a small space for such a long time. I am completely claustrophobic. But to the movie, it was really good. The film has good thrills and great suspense. I found myself screaming at the screen, "Run!", and a few curse words mixed in there as well. It's always a treat when a film gets you so involved with the character's and whats happening. Jodie Foster nails it as the over protective mama bear protecting her cub which was played by Kristen Stewart. She is quite young in the film and does a really good job in the movie. It's hard for a film that takes place in one place to really bring you to the edge of your seat, but David Fincher succeeds in doing just that. Great film."
Melvin W

Burnham: I spent the last 12 years of my life building rooms like this specifically to keep out people like us "It was supposed to be the safest room in the house." David Fincher has always and will always be a stylish director and that is one of the reason I love his… More
Burnham: I spent the last 12 years of my life building rooms like this specifically to keep out people like us "It was supposed to be the safest room in the house." David Fincher has always and will always be a stylish director and that is one of the reason I love his movies. With Panic Room, he uses his style with a home invasion plot. The camera work is extraordinary, weaving the way from door to door and up and down stairs. This isn't Fincher's best work, but it is an extremely well-made and entertaining thriller. A mother and daughter move into a new house. This house has a panic room in its master bedroom just incase a few burglars were to come into the house. Oh and what do you know, the first night they move in, there's a home invasion. What bad luck they have. The mother is played by Jodie Foster, who is never horrible, but has degrees of annoying to her performances. The daughter is played by a young Kristen Stewart. Both actresses are fine in their roles. Then there's the three burglars played by Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto and Dwight Yoakham. Each criminal displays a rather familiar trait. There's Burnham; he is the guy who is there just because he needs the money. He is the type that doesn't want to hurt anyone because really he is just an average guy; his family just needs the money. He also has knowledge of the panic room because it is his job do design them. There's Junior; he is the mastermind of the whole operation. He is kind of in the middle when it comes to psycho. He doesn't go so far as to want to just kill everyone, but he does display maniac behavior at times. Last, but not least, there's Raoul; he is the crazy homicidal maniac, who wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. He doesn't care what he has to do, as long as he gets him money. The plot isn't completely original with nothing surprising happening. In fact you'll be able to figure out what happens to all three criminals about ten minutes into the home invasion. There also are a number of plot holes that kind of annoyed me, but they weren't enough to take away from just how much fun I was having watching the film. The pacing is just right, moving at top speed at times and only slowing down for a few minutes at a time to allow the characters to catch their breath. This isn't up to the level of Seven or Fight Club, but still it shows that David Fincher just works on another level when it comes to thrillers.
Jeff "

Panic Room is a well crafted, plotted and directed thriller. David Fincher has always made good films, and Panic Room proves that he is a fine director. Panic Room presents an intricate plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story is superb, the cast is terrific and the… More
Panic Room is a well crafted, plotted and directed thriller. David Fincher has always made good films, and Panic Room proves that he is a fine director. Panic Room presents an intricate plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story is superb, the cast is terrific and the suspense is unrelenting. The film is a phenomenal blend of thrills and suspense. David Fincher has made few bad films, and he continues the trend of directing great films with Panic Room. This is a terrific film with a great cast. Surprisingly this film casts Kristen Stewart, which she isn't bad whatsoever in this. Jodie Foster is perfect in her role, and she always knows how deliver a solid, effective performance that will capture the audiences intrigue. Panic Room is definitely a great suspense thriller film. The cast is excellent for this film, and they make the film better than it is. This is a well executed film that if you're a fan of well developed thrillers with plenty of suspense and thrills, then this film is for you. David Fincher is a phenomenal director and it's really hard to pick a favorite for me, thought it would this film along with Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac. Panic Room is a stylishly executed picture that has everything necessary to a good thriller. Effective pacing, slow buildup, a constant feel of tension and of course an excellent climax. Fincher is one of the few directors out there that can pull off a terrific thriller. For this film, he pulls out every trick he's out, and he delivers an immaculate thriller that is quite ingenious in its execution, and because of that; it's a film you won't soon forget.
Eric A

Almost 10 years old and this movie still is cool and relevant. I've always liked Panic Room and think it is very brilliantly done.
Brad W

Panic Room is the kind of thriller I fell in love with when I first watched Misery. The plot of the film is amazing, a mother and daughter who move into a new house and have to wait in a Panic room from burglars, and the best part was we get both sides, the victims and the burglars,… More
Panic Room is the kind of thriller I fell in love with when I first watched Misery. The plot of the film is amazing, a mother and daughter who move into a new house and have to wait in a Panic room from burglars, and the best part was we get both sides, the victims and the burglars, I really think David fincher pulled of a winer with this story. One problem I had with the movie was that that panic room didn't seem very safe, there were so many things that weren't protected that these burglars could've killed them with. The cast was incredible, Jodie Foster was great in her role, Kristen stewart played the perfect scared little kid, and Forest Whittaker played the burglar that we don't know is evil or desperate. The cinematography is incredible as well, truly Oscar worthy and amazing, many people overlook the camera work in this. Panic Room is not only one of the best thriller you can find, but it is also another masterpiece that Ficher has created.
Bethany M

This was a refreshing film that is different to all the other thrillers. I was scared all the way through and my heart was pounding. Made me want a panic room.
Jameson W

Not the best David Fincher film I have seen, but it is still very good. This is a great thriller that is non-stop intensity and suspense from the first scene to the last. Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker completely carry this film. Without those two, the film would not have been… More
Not the best David Fincher film I have seen, but it is still very good. This is a great thriller that is non-stop intensity and suspense from the first scene to the last. Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker completely carry this film. Without those two, the film would not have been as intense as it was. Also, Kristen Stewart is okay, too. Overall, this is a great, thrilling, original film, but with it comes some weaknesses. There were a few plot elements that are so dumb that a few moments of the film are unrealistic, but it's nothing too horrible. Also, two of the intruders do not give as good of performances as the main characters, so any time they're the focus of a scene, the scene lacks. Also, the script is weak at times too, particularly with some of the adult language. Language never bothers me, but in some moments it is stupid and extremely unappealing. Cuss words do not always add to the intensity of a situation. Panic Room is intense and entertaining from the very first shot! I recommend it!
Christopher A

Absolutely loved it. A simple yet gripping storyline that keeps the viewer willing the inevitable events to happen.
xGary X

When thieves break into a New York home they thought would be empty, the occupying woman and her teenage daughter find refuge in the panic room, unaware that it is the target of the intruders' plan. David Fincher had a lot to live up to when he made this film, which makes it all… More
When thieves break into a New York home they thought would be empty, the occupying woman and her teenage daughter find refuge in the panic room, unaware that it is the target of the intruders' plan. David Fincher had a lot to live up to when he made this film, which makes it all the more perplexing that he chose such a generic and unimaginative script for his follow up to Fight Club. In fact if anything, the directorial flourishes that worked so well in the context of the off-beat idiosyncracies of that film just look out of place and pointless here and despite the slight Hitchcockian vibe it all seems too overly familiar. Jodie Foster gets to showcase her cleavage, spending the whole running time of the film in her underwear, Kristen Stewart has little to do except look sickly and the villains each have their specific stereotpyes, the pick of the film being the ever reliable Whitaker as the criminal with a conscience. There are a couple of major plot contrivances that just didn't work for me and there is little in the way of surprises along the way. It is a solidly made, decent quality Hollywood thriller, but I've come to expect more from Mr. Fincher.
Martin S

Jodie Foster can really carry a movie on her own. But she doesn't have to here. Everybody has a great part in the story. And Jared Leto...he is still a jabroni in my eyes....but that guy is great...havn't seen him so many times...but every time he steals the show (especially… More
Jodie Foster can really carry a movie on her own. But she doesn't have to here. Everybody has a great part in the story. And Jared Leto...he is still a jabroni in my eyes....but that guy is great...havn't seen him so many times...but every time he steals the show (especially in American Psycho). Overall....a good movie
Tim S

This had its moments, but it was definitely a hiccup in Fincher's career.
Dead A

Wasn't that bad. Decent movie.
Conner R

Incredible. David Fincher's style is perfect for this meticulous plot and setting. The revolutionary camera moves fit extremely well into the suspense/thriller aspect. The acting was great from nearly everyone. Even Jared Leto gave a great performance. It is a perfect heist film… More
Incredible. David Fincher's style is perfect for this meticulous plot and setting. The revolutionary camera moves fit extremely well into the suspense/thriller aspect. The acting was great from nearly everyone. Even Jared Leto gave a great performance. It is a perfect heist film and is completely original.
Anthony L

Panic Room is an Ok film but Jodie Foster annoys me and Fincher has done so much better!
Josh L

David Fincher is an awesome director and he elevates a basic premise and average script into a first rate thriller with great performances from the cast.
Ross C

Formulaic cat-and-mouse thriller that provides a vehicle for some cheesy visual effects.
Coxxie M

first dvd i ever owned! a cha cha!