Review of Panic Room (2002) by Ethan J — 29 May 2017

'PANIC ROOM' was directed by David Fincher and stars Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart and Forrest Whitaker. ?Shortly after divorcing her husband, Meg(Jodie Foster) and her daughter Sarah(Kristen Stewart) move into a brand new, huge house fitted with a specialised Panic Room. After three burglars break into the house, they are sealed into the Panic Room and must find a way to contact the outside world and escape before it's too late.

Panic Room is a perfectly disposable thriller with some solid performances and an airtight premise that is sadly let down by it's mediocre conclusion. You will be on the edge of your seat for the majority of this movie but I just don't see many people being satisfied with it's rushed and messy climax which leaves you with way too many unanswered questions, but not in the way that works to the film's advantage.

I think this movie's primary strength is Fincher's awesome directing skills, the wide array of villains and the amazing premise. The premise is what keeps this movie so interesting for me and is probably why I enjoyed it more than I would have. That said, some things surrounding the premise don't make sense at all and could have been handled a lot better in the story. Another fault to the plot was how predictable it is. I assumed most of the things that did happen were going to ahead of time and left me with much to be desired. As much as I do enjoy piecing together a story on my own, previous Fincher movies, such as 'Se7en' and 'Fight Club' ended with a bang and elevated the movie. This movie doesn't end on a bang and the ending is just not satisfying in any way. It leaves way too many unanswered questions and just doesn't feel complete. I sense Fincher had to rush his ending because it doesn't feel like him to make it as messy as it is.

Firstly, Jodie Foster was excellent in this movie and you really buy her character. I bought her performance and trust that she was just a simple Mum, pushed to the brink of her sanity and that all she wanted was to keep her demon child safe. Speaking of the Anti- Christ, I hated her. Kristen Stewart was so annoying in this role that I just couldn't stand her. She displayed negative levels of emotion and just irked me throughout the entire film. She possessed no redeeming qualities and provided no reason for me to even remotely care about her. Forrest 'Dodgy Eyes' Whitaker was excellent as Burnham and provided a genuinely layered performance that kept in tune with his character. I sincerely bought his motives and even rooted for him at points in the movie, which isn't rare necessarily for movie villains but was surprising considering what he was doing in the movie. Jared Leto was also really good as Junior but I wish they did more with his character because he just kind of served as filler and more of a plot device, rather than a genuinely enthralling villain. Dwight Yokeham was alright as Raol; I believed he was a freaking psychopath. His arc over the movies feels genuine and not forced in any way. He seems genuinely smart, lethal and calculating and is a solid antagonist for Foster and Satan.

If there is ONE thing David Fincher can do, it is make a movie look gorgeous, and that is no different here. Fincher is a modern day master of building tension and his artistic talent benefits this movie to the nth degree.

I think this movie is a great thriller up until the ending. I hate to beat a point like a dead horse but it's the main point I feel is prominent. If the ending for this movie was different. I didn't need it to be more action packed, or even supply a twist but I would have liked something more to tie the movie up nicely and make it seem more memorable. In conclusion, I do recommend to see this movie but I don't think it'll be something you remember after the credits roll.