Movie Review: Panic Room (2002)

The fourth David Fincher review gets me talking about a movie that I feel is criminally underrated. Panic Room is a 2002 thriller film starring Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, and Kristen Stewart. The movie revolves around Jodie Foster as the mom of Kristen Stewart's character. Her husband has recently separated from her and so they move into this new house which happens to have a panic room. Kristen Stewart's character is a diabetic, which is more important later on in the story. Basically on their first night in the new home, these three crooks break into the house and are searching for money. The money ends up being in the panic room, which is where Foster and Stewart's character retreat to after the break-in. When I said this movie was underrated, I was 100 percent serious. I don't understand how this movie fell through the cracks. What makes this movie so great are really three things. The first thing is Jodie Foster. I love Jodie Foster's talents as an actress. I think she is extremely gifted and can adapt to pretty much any role. Whether it be an FBI agent or a feral women in the middle of the woods, she never lets down anyone with her acting. In this movie, the way she reacts and panics to the break in is so perfect because it rubs against Stewart's performance so well. The second thing I love about this movie is how there are few scenes before and after the break-in. In other words, this movie isn't slow getting to the good scenes, and doesn't delay long after. Now for the third thing I'm not really going to spoil anything, but I'll be pretty general. In the end of this film, one of the characters is left in a condition where we don't know whether or not he lives or dies. That's what makes this movie complete. We don't get a lot of information after the showdown with the criminals at the house. From the movie itself, it is extremely hard and maybe even nearly impossible to figure out what happens to this character. Keeping in mind no spoilers. Overall, Panic Room is a great movie that may be one of David Fincher's best and possibly and favorite of mine. Three stars.