'

Panic Room

Play trailer

Panic Room

R

Released Mar 29, 2002

1h 52m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

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

Read all reviews

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

Janis E

Jodie Foster is a very talented actor and her movies deliver the same kind of suspense as Denzel Washington's movies. This film was directed by David Fincher, who directed the popular Fight Club (1999). This movie focuses on the main character trying to protect her diabetic daughter from burglars by hiding inside a fortified panic room in their newly purchased mansion. The movie really can show you the importance of the use of video surveillance, and it shows you what it's like to be a diabetic. It also touches on elements of feminism and mortality. This is one of Jodie's best movies so you should definitely watch it. These are the kind of movies that make you appreciate life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

Full Review

Maria M

great tense thriller with great performances

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/11/25

Full Review

Jack M

Brilliantly shot thriller

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/07/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

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

View more videos

The Tailor of Panama

75%

46%

The Tailor of Panama

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Tailor of Panama

Palmetto

39%

30%

Palmetto

Watchlist

Liebestraum

45%

48%

Liebestraum

Watchlist

Wicked

20%

40%

Wicked

Watchlist

Phone Booth

72%

64%

Phone Booth

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Phone Booth

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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)

Most Popular at Home Now