Panic Room

This movie is a nice piece of work! Those expecting or needing an edgy film ala Seven or Fight Club, don't bother. This movie does not pretend or intend to be what it is not. The camera work is great, the photography is great, and the acting is note-perfect given the script.

Nothing over-ambitious and the Fincher flick with the most appropriate running time and the least false notes so far. This is a classic thriller, much better than the negative reviews from other people led me to believe.

The photography is perfect for the movie. That includes the virtual camera work. Yes it looks like a David Fincher movie, but no it is not intentionally depressing and ugly as his others. The lighting works with the settings (3am in a huge house.)

Yes it's violent, that's why it's R rated. No, it's not something you'll necessarily want to watch a second time. This 90 very entertaining minutes of "now what's gonna happen"?

So suspend your disbelief a tad, sit back, and be entertained.

This claustrophobic suspense thriller sets itself up well with a remarkable, if digitally enhanced, one-shot that neatly and necessarily establishes the geography of the central location, while also planting the seeds for the seedy uses of various tools laying about the house, so that the action that comes later is clean and clear without ever needing to slow down for the sake of audience reorientation. 'Panic Room (2002)' is pretty pacy and nicely gritty to boot, being unusually violent for pictures of the kind but never less tense either. It manages to make a compelling home-invasion seem suitably layered, presenting the bad guys as rounded individuals with differing yet believable motives and personalities. It still feels immediately dangerous, though, never losing sight of its protagonists and the escalating peril they're placed in, until it finally reaches its truly edge-of-your-seat and slightly unexpected finale. 7/10

David Fincher directs this cleverly conceived thriller about a mother and daughter trapped inside a panic room by three criminals. The film is well-paced and the camera work is slick. The film does well in exploring the confines of the house. Jodie Foster is effective and maintains a high intensity throughout. Kristen Stewart is decent as her daughter. Forest Whitaker plays a slightly sympathetic criminal and does well. Unfortunately, after an engrossing game of cat and mouse, the conclusion is weak. Staple clichés crop up and the film goes for a crowd-pleasing finale that doesn't quite feel right. Still watchable.

Overall 7/10

Panic Room stands as a classic horror film that expertly blends elements of thrill and crime. Curiously, despite its clear horror attributes, it doesn't find its home in the horror genre on IMDb. As a fan of well-crafted horror movies that encompass compelling character arcs and character development, this film left a mark considering its impeccable writing which ticked all the boxes.

What sets Panic Room apart is its unique narrative approach. The writer's choice to conclude the movie in a similar fashion to how it commenced is a rarity within the horror genre. Both the protagonist and antagonist are intricately developed characters, brought to life with equally outstanding performances that mirror their well-structured designs and deep character arcs.

Although the trapped-in-a-house subgenre can sometimes be predictable due to its reliance on intense horror and survival, Panic Room is as an exception. The tense atmosphere adds to the film's overall impact. I was engrossed by its gripping combination of thrills, well-crafted writing, and stellar performances thanks to Jodie Foster & Forest Whitaker's stand-out performance.

I felt the iconic dialogue of the classic, Shawshank Redemption (So was Red) was recreated - You're gonna be okay.

This movie kept me at the edge of my seat from 10 minutes inside of it and all through until its very end. A very good story highlighted by very good performances.

My hat off to Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart, they're great playing mother and daughter.

Country-singer-turned-actor Dwight Yoakam outdoes himself portraying one of the burglars.