Panic Room

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Panic Room

R

Released Mar 29, 2002

1h 52m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

191 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Trapped in their New York brownstone's panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her young daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders - Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Raoul (Dwight Yoakam) and Junior (Jared Leto) - during a brutal home invasion. But the room itself is the focal point because what the intruders really want is inside it.

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Critics Consensus

Elevated by David Fincher's directorial talent and Jodie Foster's performance, Panic Room is a well-crafted, above-average thriller.

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Namrata Joshi

Outlook

Leaving you utterly dissatisfied...

Rated: 2/4

Jan 3, 2019

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Extreme suspense, graphic violence; not for kids.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 27, 2010

Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

A thinking-man's women-in-jeopardy picture, Panic Room does about as much as humanly possible with its deliberately restricted one-setting premise.

Mar 27, 2009

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

Taut and tense, Panic Room represents a smaller scale effort from director David Fincher that is no less meticulously crafted than his previous films.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 7, 2025

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

It may not be a "top tier" Fincher film, but this popcorn thriller is hugely entertaining and deserves more respect. It's a great time at the movies.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 2, 2025

Full Review

Paul Lê

Bloody Disgusting

Beneath Panic Room’s polished surface lurks a story teeming with texture.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 28, 2025

Full Review

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Gina R

A great edge-of-the-seat thriller!! Jodie Foster proves yet again that she is most versatile and hypnotic actress of her generation!! Kirsten looks fresh as a newly rained snow on the grassy medows...She shows all the future promise which she brought to us in the years after this movie's release in 2002. A highly recommended watch. Gather with your loved ones and cosy up in a blanket with a flask of Coffee and a popcorn bucket, and click play - Panic Room!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/19/25

Full Review

Julian Rex M

Slick, suspenseful, and suitably fun, Panic Room is a welcome detour for noir-maestro David Fincher that makes great use of its lean cast and riveting atmosphere to create a hearty, wholly satisfying thriller.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/20/25

Full Review

Dwayne W

Beautifully shot with stunning performances

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

Full Review

Faiz D

This might be David Fincher's worst movie.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

Full Review

Yash B

I think as a home invasion thriller as well as a David Fincher movie, "Panic Room" is slightly disappointing on both fronts. I think the movie is okay, but it never rises above that for me. The performances are good, and the premise is genuinely really strong at first. I feel that after a while, the thrills become less engaging, and the movie just starts to lose me a bit. I think it has enough moments of entertainment value to make it an acceptable one-time watch, but I certainly think Fincher has many better films. Overall, it is an okay thriller and fails to be anything more or less than that despite an intriguing hook with its initial premise.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

Full Review

Olivia J

stylistically shot with nail biting tension

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/02/25

Full Review

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David Fincher

Director

Jodie Foster

Meg Altman

Forest Whitaker

Burnham

Dwight Yoakam

Raoul

Jared Leto

Junior

Kristen Stewart

Sarah Altman

Panic Room: Official Clip - Get Out of My House!

2:11

Panic Room: Official Clip - Turn the Gas Off!

2:11

Panic Room: Official Clip - Hand in the Door

2:13

Panic Room: Official Clip - Discovering the Burglars

2:11

Panic Room: Official Clip - Unsung Hero

2:01

Panic Room: Official Clip - Thanks, Burnham

2:03

Panic Room: Official Clip - The Panic Room

1:47

Panic Room: Official Clip - I'm Raoul

2:11

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Synopsis

Trapped in their New York brownstone's panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her young daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders - Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Raoul (Dwight Yoakam) and Junior (Jared Leto) - during a brutal home invasion. But the room itself is the focal point because what the intruders really want is inside it.

Director: David Fincher
Producer: Ceán Chaffin, Judy Hofflund, David Koepp, Gavin Polone
Screenwriter: David Koepp
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Hofflund/Polone, Columbia Pictures
Rating: R (Violence|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 29, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $95.3M
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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