--- title: "Panic Room: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/panic-room/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/panic-room" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Panic Room (2002): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 12 reviews: 7 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics come away satisfied. The reviews treat Panic Room as a tight, efficient siege thriller, and the praise clusters on David Fincher’s direction: the camera’s long, sinuous movements through the house are mentioned again and again, and the title sequence gets a nod from several. Jodie Foster’s lead performance is the other point of agreement, with critics singling out her anxious, resourceful intensity. Forest Whitaker also earns warm words. The reservations are about weight rather than craft. A number of reviews call the plot formulaic and the film slighter than Fincher’s earlier work, admired for its mechanics more than its substance. The New Yorker thinks Jared Leto’s comic turn a misstep. The spread is narrow, with one outlier: Eye for Film, writing five years after release, finds the direction weak and the ending incoherent, though it praises Kristen Stewart. Nobody else goes that far. ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 March 2002. McCarthy finds the thriller engrossing, praising its smart plotting, performances, and technical execution. He particularly singles out Fincher’s visual style and the film’s dark, atmospheric look. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/panic-room-1200550758/) ## Empire — Caroline Westbrook Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Westbrook finds the film a top-notch piece of commercial suspense, despite its simple premise. She especially praises Jodie Foster’s resourceful, believable lead performance and the film’s escalating tension. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/panic-room-review/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. Phipps praises the film as a tightly orchestrated, highly suspenseful thriller. He singles out Fincher’s technical control and the cast’s convincing desperation as key strengths. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/panic-room-1798195456) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 3 May 2002. The review finds the film superficial compared with Fincher’s earlier work, but exhilarating as a sustained exercise in style and suspense. It particularly praises Fincher’s inventive camera work, especially the elaborate coffee-pot shot. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/panic-room-review/) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 May 2002. French praises the film as an expert, taut thriller that makes familiar siege scenarios feel fresh. He singles out Fincher’s direction and the camera’s sinuous movement through the house. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/may/05/features.review1) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 April 2002. Lane finds the film an effective, nerve-racking thriller, though Jared Leto’s comic performance is a misstep. He especially praises Jodie Foster’s anxious intensity and Forest Whitaker’s tender, troubled presence. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/04/08/home-fries) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. The review finds the film an effective, suspenseful thriller. It singles out Fincher’s precise visual direction as a strength. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/29/movies/film-review-luxury-home-built-in-trouble.html) ## Screen Daily — Emanuel Levy Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2002. The available page does not expose the critic’s verdict. It likewise provides no praise or complaint beyond the film’s identifying metadata. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/panic-room/408742.article) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The accessible page does not expose the critic’s verdict. No specific praise or complaint is available in the visible metadata. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/panic-room) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2.5/4. 21 March 2002. Gonzalez finds the film mechanically self-obsessed but ultimately entertaining eye candy. He singles out the opening credits, Foster’s dashes into the panic room, and the elegant wine glasses. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/panic-room/) ## Radio Times — Sloan Freer Rating 3/5. Freer finds the thriller tense and ruthlessly executed, despite its formulaic plot. The innovative title sequence and Fincher’s nervous energy stand out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-5bc1gu/panic-room/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 27 June 2007. Kermode finds the film disappointing overall, though still worth watching. She praises the opening credits and Kristen Stewart’s performance, but faults the weakened direction and incoherent ending. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/panic-room-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/panic-room.md