Review of Panic Room (2002) by Hillary D — 08 Jun 2012

Jodie Foster and her young daughter Kristen Stewart move into a nice New York brownstone following Jodie's divorce. Only after one night there, three thugs, lead by past repairman Forest Whitaker, invade their home, and so Jodie and Kristen are forced to remain secluded in the home's vault or "panic room".

As it turns out, the robbers want exactly what's in that room, and as they try to break in, the all to smart cookie Jodie out-thwarts them almost every time. If only Kristen wasn't a diabetic .

.. "Panic Room" is one of the best thrillers I've ever seen. Taut, thrilling, and suspenseful every step of the way, it turns what is such a simple plot into such a maze that it is just as good as Hitchcock.

Masterful director David Fincher ("Fight Club", "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), is one of those filmmakers that you can constantly rely on, and this is his most underrated film.

Most directors would have this film running out of gas by the end, but Fincher instead thinks of something new and creative to do with these characters, and the film is constantly interesting. To top it off, it has the usual David Fincher visual-style-- dark, moody, and ominous, and paired up with the events happening, it almost always heightens the adrenaline pumping through your veins, as does the score.

But what really brings the movie to new heights are the performances. Foster is superb as usual and creates such a complex heroine, but it's Whitaker, as the sympathetic thief and Stewart (in one of her earliest roles) as the smart daughter who steal the show half the time.

"Panic Room" is so unique, so compelling, and so dark that it's almost impossible to say this isn't the perfect thriller-- it's smarter than average, and you can't help but glue your eyes to the screen.

Recommended.