Parents' Guide to

Panic Room

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Extreme suspense, graphic violence; not for kids.

Movie R 2002 112 minutes
Panic Room Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 15+

Based on 11 parent reviews

Spencer H.
Spencer H. Adult
March 19, 2021
age 16+

Excellent thriller but way too much strong language

The R rating was definitely deserved for the language alone. Some of the violence is intense but not terrible. However there is constant use of strong language throughout in this film. Without it this could have been a PG-13. No sex or nudity of any kind. Kids may want to see it but if you have a problem with language this is definitely not the movie for them. It is well made and well acted but the language makes this a better choice for older teenagers and adults only.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Nevermindthisreadmyreview
Nevermindthisreadmyreview Adult
February 3, 2021
age 11+

Amazing!

If your child is okay with a bit of gore then its fine. Its an amazing movie with a great story. There is a lot of violence but it looks fake and even though there is a lot it didn't scare me .This movie is violent but its a happy story at the end.
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

This thriller, in the claustrophobic mode of Rear Window, finds Meg (Jodie Foster), a recent divorcee, and her combative daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart), trapped in the secret vault/bomb shelter/safe room set up by their apartment's previous owner, a paranoid millionaire with a squabbling family. The least favorite cousin, Junior (Jared Leto), has broken into the apartment with the help of security expert Burnham (Forest Whitaker) and tag-along psycho Raoul (Dwight Yoakam). The bad guys want in to the vault, where the old millionaire hid his millions. The girls just want to get out, but the protected phone line inside the room hasn't been activated yet (they just moved in). Meg's inner mama tiger takes over escalates as the burglars take more and more drastic steps to try and enter the impregnable vault, and Sarah moves from being a tough, sullen teen to a tough, sullen, wily teen.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11):
Kids say (36):

PANIC ROOM is not a movie about insight into the human condition or subtle, complex characters; this is just a movie about scaring the heck out of you, and it does that very expertly. On the outside, Forest Whitaker gets to play the good bad guy, while Mr. Leto and Mr. Yoakam act progressively more evil.

For a story which should have been a claustrophobic battle of wits, too often it's simply a battle of violence, although there are some riveting action sequences. And while the family dynamics are underdeveloped, the film does show how divorced parents and their children can remain a family even after separation.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what the characters do to escalate the level of violence, and how acting from emotions as opposed to reason can aggravate problems, no matter how satisfying it may seem at the time. Divorced families will be especially interested in Sarah's father, who has in no way abandoned his daughter.

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