Review of Panic Room (2002) by Jay L — 14 Sep 2012

"It was supposed to be the safest room in the house...".

A supremely taut and intensely riveting psychological horror thriller that really amps up the adrenaline. Panic Room is an intensely action packed and utterly stylish cat and mouse game that doesn't stop the firepower until the credit roll. We have seen it all before, but this one is different, its much better than your average psychological chiller, for which we can thank Director David Fincher (Fight Club ,Alien 3, The Game, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) and Writer David Koepp. David Fincher and company construct another highly tense and atmospheric thriller here that's mind-blowingly dark and spine-tinglingly realistic throughout. You can always count on David Fincher to make a film that we have seen time and time again and make it into something that we haven't, something that's much better, much smarter and always much more brutally honest. Panic Room is all of the above, its frightening, its hair-raising, its pulse-pounding, its clever, its cerebral, its absorbing and most of all....its entertaining as hell, I mean you wont want to turn your head from the screen in fear of missing something. The suspense is insanely gripping, David Fincher and company take a step out of of their, I don't want to say comfort zone, but this one is definitely a change of pace for Fincher. A lean, mean, tough as nails and hard hitting cerebral psychological mind game that pieces itself together all the while making your brain into mush. A fantastic cat and mouse game that really hits the suspenseful nail on the head.

Jodie Foster stars and, as usual, is absolutely fantastic throughout in a very intense performance. Kristen Stewart does well, and is actually pretty likeable in a pre-Twilight performance. Forest Whitaker gives a stellar performance throughout. Jared Leto gives a convincing and chilling villainous performance as does Dwight Yoakam.