Panic Room

Panic Room falls a little short against the rest of Mr. David Fincher's oeuvre. However, it’s still a gripping story with excellent cinematography, precise direction, well-developed characters, and an outstanding Jodie Foster who really acts like her life depended on it. As a genre flick, this is one of the better, if not the best, but as far as David Fincher is concerned, slightly above average. (Though he makes up for it with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). (10/05/2009)

A casual viewer will hardly appreciate David Fincher's brilliant camerawork and the subtle noir atmosphere of the entire film. The script is indeed simple, but the main characters are brilliantly portrayed and the settings of the large villa, bad weather, and Jodie Foster's believable acting contribute a lot. For fans of the genre and Fincher's films, it is truly an exceptional work. For most others, however, it will likely be just an average cat and mouse game with a slightly exaggerated ending. (01/11/2003)

David Fincher knows how to dose the tension in his thrillers. It is always based on a great idea and when it starts unfolding, it is clear he really enjoys his work, scene after the scene. When I was watching Panic Room, I was quite surprised why he is currently stuck with movies which quite contradict the things he is best at. However, I enjoyed this movie. I wish they would make more harsh and exciting thrillers like this in Hollywood. But I have a feeling that movies like this one are slowly becoming rare in the States. (11/02/2019)

A decent crime thriller that is intriguing in terms of direction. While David Fincher is capable of even better films, here he works his magic with the camera, choosing unusual angles, playing with silhouettes behind doors, utilizing shadows to emphasize the atmosphere of the abandoned house. A weaker aspect is the screenplay, which occasionally stumbles (such as the late arrival of the police considering it's a luxurious prominent neighborhood) and above all, spoils the ending of the film. It could have been more imaginative; a similar ending is already familiar to audiences from many other films. As expected, Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker dominate the cast. Overall impression: 75%. (16/08/2008)

A suspenseful and novel plot. There is no Fincher's darkness this time, "only" a very solid thriller, spiced up with a few gimmicks (the camera passing through the ear of the teapot). Jodie Foster is great as always, and it’s nice to see Forest Whitaker again, even in a villain role, but with a good heart. It couldn’t have been any other way with him :) (13/01/2003)