Panic Room

Newly divorced Meg Altman moves into a roomy Manhattan brownstone with her teenage daughter Sarah, and the house includes a fortified panic room for peace of mind. Late one night three intruders break in, and Meg and Sarah retreat into that sealed refuge. The burglars want what’s locked inside the room, so they stalk and manipulate the apartment while Meg and Sarah try to outthink them. Tension comes from the confined space, the shifting alliances among the invaders, and the ways Meg protects her daughter. The story plays as a tight psychological contest, with danger measured in inches and seconds as they bargain, bluff, and try to turn the house itself to their advantage.

Directed by David Fincher and scripted from a concept by David Koepp, the film arrived in 2002 with Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam leading the cast, and it emphasizes precise, controlled filmmaking.

It opened strongly and put up solid commercial returns, performing well enough at the box office to be considered a mainstream financial success for its scale.

The movie left a mark on pop culture through its central conceit, the panic room, which soon showed up in references and parodies. Kristen Stewart’s early role drew attention as she grew into a notable actor, and certain scenes became shorthand for claustrophobic thrillers.

Critics were split but many praised the film’s craft, Foster’s intense performance, and the way the set design and cinematography keep viewers on edge. The themes center on maternal protection, surveillance versus safety, and how modern security can create its own vulnerabilities, all while sustaining a steadily tense mood rather than relying on big shocks.