Panic (2000)

Alex, a hit man, tries to get out of the family business, but his father won't let him do so. While seeking the help of a therapist, he meets a sexually charged 23-year-old woman with whom he falls in love.

Director:

Henry Bromell

Writer:

Henry Bromell

Stars:

William H. Macy, Neve Campbell, John Ritter

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William H. Macy	...	Alex
John Ritter	...	Dr. Josh Parks
Neve Campbell	...	Sarah Cassidy
Donald Sutherland	...	Michael
Tracey Ullman	...	Martha
Barbara Bain	...	Deidre
David Dorfman	...	Sammy
Tina Lifford	...	Dr. Leavitt
Bix Barnaba	...	Louie
Nicholle Tom	...	Tracy
Thomas Curtis	...	Alex - Age 7
Andrea Baker	...	Candice (as Andrea Taylor)
Steven Moreno	...	Sean (as Steve Moreno)
Erica Ortega	...	Rachel
Greg Pitts	...	Alex - Age 20

Storyline

Alex, a sad-eyed mournful man, goes into psychotherapy: he discloses he's a hit man. He also tells the doctor, after a few sessions, that he's attracted to a young woman he's met in the waiting room. She's Sarah, 23, quick, edgy, and perhaps attracted to him as well. But he's married, the dutiful father of a young precocious boy, so Sarah brushes him off. In flashbacks we see him get his start as a killer, at his father's prompting: it's the family business. Dad gives Alex his next assignment: to kill the therapist. Alex keeps returning to Sarah, calling her, stopping by her apartment, as he decides what to do about the hit, his father, his marriage, and his malaise.

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Plot Keywords:

family business | love | marriage | flashback | utah teapot | 

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Taglines:

A Story of Family, Lust, Murder ...and Other Midlife Crises

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and elements of violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 2001 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

Pánico

Filming Locations:

Huntington Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$779,137

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artisan Entertainment, Mad Chance, The Vault

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When it was released in Brazil, it caused controversies because the movie's translated Portuguese title, "Pânico", was already given to the slasher film Scream (1996), also starring Neve Campbell.

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Quotes

Michael: Every man has a destiny, Alex. Life is not... random. The trick is discovering your destiny, knowing it. Once you do that, everything else comes easy... just flows.

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Connections

References Running Scared (1986)

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Soundtracks

Spin
Written by Brian Tyler
Published by Tippecanoe Music Publishing

User Reviews

Subtle, seductive, surprising

Panic is a sneaky little gem of a film - you think you have it figured out by the first half hour only to realize, with great pleasure, that Henry Bromell is a much better writer/director than that.

The film builds slowly, with one quietly devastating scene after another, all enacted perfectly by William H. Macy, Donald Sutherland, Neve Campbell, Tracey Ullman, John Ritter, and the most remarkable child actor I've seen in a long time, David Dorfman, as Macy's son, who delivers his lines as if they're completely unscripted thoughts being created in his mind. Rich and rewarding, this film will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.