Panic Room (2002), directed by David Fincher, stars Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, Jared Leto, and Patrick Bauchau. The film follows Meg (Foster), a single mother who recently divorced her cheating husband. Accompanied by Sarah (Stewart), her preteen daughter, Meg purchases a beautiful New York City home that features a state-of-the-art saferoom. During the duo’s first overnight stay, three criminals (Whitaker, Yoakam, Leto) who believe the house to be empty break in to recover a hidden fortune left behind by the previous owner.  

In a contained story such as this, the quality of the performances are of utmost importance. There isn’t much room (literally) for flashy setpieces and jaw-dropping special effects. The film instead relies on our attachment to the characters and our general ability to immerse ourselves in and empathize with the horrifying situation our protagonists find themselves in.  Thankfully, the impressive performances allow for this to be the case. Foster perfectly conveys a mother whose confidence/happiness has been dismantled through her experience with her husband’s recent infidelity. Throughout the film, we experience the character reclaim her agency through the events she is forced to endure. This results in a character we’re happy to root for, her flaws being hurdles to overcome as opposed to stagnant ones that remain from beginning to end. Kristen Stewart proves once again that she has always been a great actress by overcoming the all-too-common annoying and moody teenager trope. She injects her character with a certain amount of intelligence that never takes away from the fact that she is still hindered by the fears and insecurities that a normal teenager would most likely experience. What really brings these two performances home is the fact that Meg and Sarah’s mother-daughter relationship feels nuanced and authentic. Although we care about these two as individuals, we care more about them as a duo. 

The three criminals who break into the house are likewise deliciously formed characters. Each character represents a different kind of criminal, creating tense dynamics between the three even though they share the same goal. Leto plays the character who only cares about the money, Yoakem plays the character with mysteriously violent intent, and Whitaker plays the character whose morals make him question why he’s even there in the first place. This adds constant intrigue as well as shifting alliances and motivations, resulting in the film remaining unpredictable up until its final moments.

Fincher directs the film with a sure hand (as expected), constantly using space to his advantage. Like John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), Fincher makes sure we are entirely familiar with the space in which the events of the film will take place. This creates a feeling of claustrophobia that increases tensions significantly. The film makes it clear just how trapped the protagonists are, leaving the audience with little opportunity to say things such as “Why doesn’t X just do Y?” Fincher covers his bases which leads to a film that feels realistic and therefore endlessly more exciting.

The film is also extremely well-paced which is even more impressive considering its’ contained nature. Believable reasons that the characters would be called action are wheeled out at a satisfying pace. After reading the premise, a person might wonder, for example, why the characters don’t just stay in the safe room until the criminals get hungry and/or sleepy and leave? Well, there are multiple reasons why this isn’t the case, but I don’t want to spoil them here. 

Overall, this is another classic thriller from David Fincher that perplexingly gets glossed over in discussions about his best films. This may feel familiar to modern audiences, but that’s only because this essentially set the template for a majority of modern thrillers. Even if one doesn’t find anything particularly new in Panic Room, it holds up due to its masterful directing and top-notch performances. If anyone wants to watch what I would consider to be a definitive thriller, check out Panic Room as soon as possible. B+