Panic Room (2002)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

David Fincher

Writer (WGA):

David Koepp (written by)

Release Date:

29 March 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

It was supposed to be the safest room in the house

Plot:

A woman and her teenage daughter become imprisoned in the panic room of their own house by 3 criminals.

Plot Keywords:

Break In | Home | Blood | Panic Room | Police

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Jodie Foster	...	Meg Altman
Kristen Stewart	...	Sarah Altman
Forest Whitaker	...	Burnham
Dwight Yoakam	...	Raoul
Jared Leto	...	Junior
Patrick Bauchau	...	Stephen Altman
Ann Magnuson	...	Lydia Lynch
Ian Buchanan	...	Evan Kurlander
Andrew Kevin Walker	...	Sleepy Neighbor
Paul Schulze	...	Officer Keeney
Mel Rodriguez	...	Officer Morales
Richard Conant	...	SWAT Cop
Paul Simon	...	SWAT Cop
Victor Thrash	...	SWAT Cop
Ken Turner	...	SWAT Cop

Also Known As:

Safe Room (USA) (working title)
The Panic Room (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

112 min | Spain:113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut) | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Belgium:16 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Belgium:KT (cinema release) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Canada:R (DVD rating) | Finland:K-15 | France:U (with warning) | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

David Koepp wrote the first draft of the script in six days

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of coke in Sarah's glass changes between shots.

Quotes:

[after Meg set the propane gas on fire scene]
Meg: [to Sarah] Are you okay?
Sarah: [nods]
Meg: [scolding] Promise me you will never do *ANYTHING* like that.
Sarah: [nods] I won't.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Stacked: Darling Nikki (#2.3)" (2005)

Great suspense with excellent cast and director

This movie was a really pleasant surprise for me. Though I am a real fan of the other fincher movies (especially "se7en" and "the game"), I didn't really now what to expect from this one.

The story didn't sound very original, but like stuff that could make a great movie in the hands of the right director.

Well, Fincher was the right director. With this movie about a young divorced woman and her daughter being trapped in a security room of their house while criminals trying to lure them out in my opinion is his very best work so far.

Despite some little plot holes that are very easily forgiven, "Panic Room" not only is a great flick, but a wonderful pice of art. I think so because even though the whole movie takes place in one big house, director David Fincher and cinematographers Conrad W. Hall and Darius Khondji manage to create some truly unique shots you haven't seen in any other movies so far.

I don't want to go too much into detail, but if you are even a little interested in the art of film making, you have to see this movie.

Of course I also highly recommend it for fans of Fincher and/or Jodie Foster.

I talked to some guys who didn't really understand what I meant when I told them how great the (digitally enhanced) camera movements were, but that was only because they weren't really movie fans who would recognize these kinds of details.

My conclusion: you might argue that the plot is not very original, but the cinematography alone justifies to see this movie at least once.

I give it 9 out of 10 points.