For those who love their thrillers stylish and nail-biting, this film is a must-see. Although it’s now seven years since its release in 2002, many of the respective players in Panic Room have recently come to the fore, which means public interest in this film could well increase. Directed by David Fincher, recently celebrated for his visionary drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Panic Room is a claustrophobic, home-invasion thriller, focusing on the plight of Meg Altman, a recent and subsequently wealthy divorcee, portrayed by two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster, and her daughter Sarah Altman, played by Kristen Stewart, who has recently achieved renown – especially in teenage circles – for her turn as Bella in Twilight, the film spawn of Stephanie Meyer’s bestselling book franchise. On their first night in their new home, an extensive mansion on New York’s upper-east side, Meg and Sarah face an ordeal against three burglars who are intent on infiltrating the house’s panic room, in which the previous owner has hidden his fortune. The panic room is a safe-haven, specifically designed by security companies for use in the event of a burglary. The film’s tagline aptly puts to us the question: What do you do when your hiding place is their destination?

To say the least, the casting is superb, especially where the three burglars are considered. Jared Leto, fresh from his acclaimed performance as an out-of-control drug addict in Requiem for a Dream, portrays the trio’s self-conscious and edgy leader, occasionally providing rare moments of humour amidst the suspense. Dwight Yokam, most recently seen in the rom-com Four Holidays as Sissy Spacek’s evangelic suitor, offers a very different performance in Panic Room, as the most a-moral and unpredictable of the three burglars, equipped with an ominous balaclava and a penchant for unnecessary violence. But Forrest Whitaker, recipient of the 2006 Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland, is probably the stroke of genius when it comes to casting in Panic Room. His empathetic portrayal of a burglar who actually needs the money and doesn’t want anyone to get hurt is crucial to the storytelling as it bridges the gap between the hostages and the intruders. That said, Foster and Stewart together deliver convincing, powerful performances as well.

The tone of the film is dark from the very beginning, when a real estate agent gives Meg and Sarah a tour of the house, and its brooding, labyrinth qualities become apparent to the viewer. It really is the perfect setting for a thriller, and David Fincher handles it with outstanding skill, and notable innovation. Indeed, it is hard not to notice that the camera does some pretty remarkable things in this film, from moving through the tiniest crack in a doorway to infiltrating so far into a light bulb you can see the fuse die out. Clearly these shots were not achieved without the help of optical and visual effects, but the integration with live-action is practically seamless.

The visual innovation is reminiscent of Fincher’s directional debut, the much publicised and criticised Alien 3, in which the camerawork similarly complemented the labyrinthine environment. His approach to the camera is one of the things that give Panic Room a very modern edge, separating it from other films that might fall into the same category plot-wise. The pacing deserves a mention, as it is perfect – no time wasted with lengthy character development or a drawn-out ending; the majority of this film is action. Apart from the titles (which are innovative themselves) there are only two scenes outside the main timeline of the film, fittingly placed at the beginning and end. And not to be overlooked, Howard Shore’s understated-but-still-menacing score complements the on screen action like few others have in the past decade.

Verdict:

If good acting and slick suspense are your fancy, or if you just want to check out what Kristen Stewart was up to before a vampire seduced her, Panic Room is definitely for you. The DVD special features are nothing to write home about, but the film by itself should satisfy. It’s one you will no doubt find yourself watching over and over again, marvelling at how flawlessly it all comes together.