Panic Room (2002)
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A mother and daughter must defend themselves against intruders in a high-tech fortified room.
The story
Recently divorced Meg Altman and her eleven-year-old daughter, Sarah, move into a four-story brownstone in New York City's Upper West Side. The house's previous owner, a reclusive millionaire, had installed a "panic room" to protect himself from intruders. The room is reinforced with concrete and steel and features a thick steel door. It also includes an extensive security system with multiple surveillance cameras and a public address system. On Meg and Sarah's first night in the house, three men break in: Junior, the previous owner's grandson; Burnham, an employee of the home's security company, who built the panic room; and Raoul, a thug brought along to the break in by Junior, without Burnham's knowledge. They intend to steal bearer bonds locked inside a floor safe in the panic room.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After moving into a New York City brownstone, Meg Altman and her daughter Sarah are trapped in a high-tech panic room when three men—Junior, Burnham, and Raoul—break in to steal bearer bonds. When Meg discovers them on security cameras, she and Sarah retreat into the reinforced room. The intruders attempt to force them out by pumping in propane, which Meg ignites, injuring Junior. During the standoff, the intruders' dynamics shift when Raoul shoots and kills Junior, and the situation escalates as Meg's ex-husband, Stephen, arrives and is taken hostage. Sarah, who is diabetic, suffers a medical emergency, forcing a tense negotiation regarding her medication. After a series of maneuvers and a failed police intervention, Meg leads the intruders into an ambush. In the ensuing chaos, Burnham kills Raoul and is apprehended by police. The film ends with Meg and Sarah searching for a new home.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Fincher
- Writers
- David Koepp · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jodie Foster · Meg Altman; Kristen Stewart · Sarah; Forest Whitaker · Burnham; Jared Leto · Junior; Dwight Yoakam · Raoul
- Genres
- thriller; crime; psychological
- Themes
- survival; mother-daughter bond; security; trust
- Tone and mood
- high-tension; suspenseful
- Setting
- A four-story brownstone in New York City's Upper West Side.
- Premise and plot tags
- home invasion; siege; thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- script inspired by news coverage in 2000 about panic rooms
- Content notes
- violence; language
- Reception
- The film was positively reviewed by critics, who commended Fincher's direction and Foster's performance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 76% · scale: percentage; Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- ASCAP Award · Top Box Office Film music · win; Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film Award · Art Directors Guild · nomination; Best Editing · Online Film Critics Society Award · nomination; Best Horror/Thriller film trailer · 3rd Golden Trailer Awards · win; Best Actress · Saturn Award · nomination
- Production trivia
- The house and its panic room were built on a Raleigh Studios lot.; Nicole Kidman was originally cast as the mother.; The film's production cost $48 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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