Panic Room
Metascore
65 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
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  1. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    88
    Fincher eschews quick cuts in favor of long, leisurely ones. He knows what he's doing, and the proof is in the result. The suspense in Panic Room never ebbs, and that makes for a thoroughly entertaining -- if somewhat exhausting -- 108 minutes.
  2. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    83
    Richly frightening film.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    90
    An old-house thriller retrofitted for the 21st century without any touch of unneeded flash, Panic Room is scary enough to do for downtown living what Jaws did for beaches.
  4. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    90
    Ingeniously scary.
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  5. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    90
    There is something horribly apt in the way Fincher closes the drama in joyless exhaustion, leaving you certain that there will be a sequel to these events, not onscreen but in someone's home, tonight. [8 April 2002, p. 95]
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User Reviews

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User Score
6.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 89 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 43
  3. Negative: 5 out of 43
  1. BlakeJ
    7
    Somehow it manages to be "good". I don't know how. It must have something to do with Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, and David Fincher being rolled into one...the acting wasnt great, but it kept me glued to the screen, somehow.… Full Review »
  2. AlexB.
    9
    I love the idea of this movie as much as the movie itself. If you like Audrey Hepburn's film "Wait Until Dark," you will love Panic Room. It is very much like an updated version of that classic. Many people found that this movie wasn't thrilling enough and if you start watching it expecting a jump-out-of-your-seat thriller you will not be satisfied either. My advice for enjoying this movie the way it was meant to be, is to just sit back and put yourself in the situation and not expect startling experiances. Love this movie; it's one of my favorites!… Full Review »
  3. Jake
    8
    Fincher just never seems to be able to make the transition from a good director to a great director....oh well, this is pretty damn good movie, very suspensful at parts, and contradicting what Pat said, pretty memorable in my mind at least. But when it comes down to it, it's pure entertainment.....there's not much susptance to the idea, and there could have been (maybe had M. Night written the screenplay) but what the film does well, it does very well.… Full Review »
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