Nicole Kidman originally played Meg before injury led to Jodie Foster
In the discussion (3)
- Nicole Kidman began filming as Meg but aggravated a knee injury and was replaced by Jodie Foster
- Fincher is said to have reshaped Meg from Kidman’s more glamorous reading toward Foster’s practical, political portrayal
- Foster reportedly became available after Russell Crowe’s injury halted a film she was directing, then her pregnancy complicated this production
Multiple sequences, with the propane attack and phone retrieval emerging as favorites
In the discussion (9)
- The robbers arriving at the house is nominated as a rewatchable sequence
- Meg discovering the intruders on the surveillance feed and calculating how to reach her daughter is nominated
- Meg reaching for and retrieving the phone is praised for its slow-motion suspense
- Junior revealing the safe contains far more money is nominated
- The intruders switching places with the injured ex-husband is nominated
- The ending is nominated as a complete rewatchable sequence
- The propane attack is challenged because Meg should be killed or badly injured by the blast
- The propane attack is selected as the favorite despite the realism objection — Chris Ryan
- The phone retrieval is selected as another favorite, with propane ranked second
The cast, title sequence, subtle diabetes setup, Kristen Stewart, and specific dialogue are praised
In the discussion (6)
- Forest Whitaker’s range and unconventional career are praised
- The opening title sequence is praised for its scale and contrast with the confined film
- The understated setup of Sarah’s diabetes is praised
- Kristen Stewart’s child performance and later career are praised
- Jared Leto’s performance and death scene are praised
- Dwight Yoakam’s masked menace is praised
The propane survival, treatment of the ex-husband, and police response are criticized
In the discussion (3)
- The propane gas scene is criticized because Meg should blow herself up
- The ex-husband is judged excessively brutalized and ineffective
- Police and emergency response are criticized as implausibly slow and passive
Hayden Panettiere and Maynard James Keenan were reportedly earlier choices
In the discussion (3)
- Hayden Panettiere is reported as an earlier choice for Sarah before Kristen Stewart
- Maynard James Keenan is reported as the first offer for Raoul before Dwight Yoakam
- Henry Rollins is proposed as an alternate Raoul
The police actor and realtor actor are proposed
In the discussion (1)
- The actor playing a police officer and the soap-opera realtor are proposed because the speakers recognize their roles but struggle with their names
Jared Leto after an eligibility debate
In the discussion (1)
- Raoul and Junior are debated, then Jared Leto is announced after discussion of line-count eligibility
Anthony Hopkins, Michael Douglas, Ted Levine, and several Heat actors are proposed
In the discussion (3)
Production facts cover Stewart’s growth, repeated takes, the set, camera work, cinematography, home-video release, and a Runaways connection
In the discussion (6)
- Kristen Stewart reportedly grew more than three inches during production
- The medical bag floor-slide is jokingly estimated to have required many takes
- The brownstone set is reported to have taken 15 weeks and $6 million to construct
- The film’s camera movement combined previsualization, animation, and shot footage
- Darius Khondji reportedly left as cinematographer and Conrad Hall took over
- A Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, Kristen Stewart and Joan Jett casting connection is traced across Foxes, Panic Room, and The Runaways
The panic-room concept and propane explosion are the clearest choices
In the discussion (12)
- David Fincher is rejected as being at his apex
- Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart are rejected as apex choices
- Diabetes as a plot device is compared with Steel Magnolias and Dog Day Afternoon without a firm result
- Jared Leto is rejected as an apex choice
- Chugging wine in a bath while sad about divorce is proposed as an apex
- Raoul as a character name is discussed without agreement
- Forest Whitaker is rejected as an apex choice
- The panic-room concept is treated as an unequivocal apex because the film is built around it
- Girl power is placed in the discussion but challenged because Burnham saves the mother and daughter
- Dwight Yoakam is discussed without a firm apex conclusion
- Tool is rejected as an apex choice
- Propane explosions are accepted as a strong apex choice
Missed escapes, the phone plan, recovery, robber attire, and neighbor response are challenged
In the discussion (6)
- Meg is criticized for failing to retrieve and use a phone during several openings
- The 911 hold is questioned, then defended by a producer using a police-officer parent as a source
- Meg’s ability to wire phone lines and recover rapidly after wine and medicine is questioned
- Roe falling down two floors and getting up fresh is questioned
- Burnham wearing his security-company uniform during the break-in is questioned
- Whether a neighbor would recognize and answer a flashlight SOS is debated
Ideas include an anthology of panic rooms, one room across eras, or expanded character backstories
In the discussion (3)
- A contemporary home-invasion limited series is considered and initially rejected
- An anthology about ten panic rooms or one room across historical eras is proposed
- Expanded episodes for the marriage, Raoul, and Burnham are proposed, then rejected as unnecessary
Whether Panic Room is Kristen Stewart’s best performance
In the discussion (1)
- The child performance is proposed as Stewart’s best, while Adventureland and several later films are counterexamples
Raoul’s ski mask, the panic room, bearer bonds, and propane tank
In the discussion (1)
- Raoul’s ski mask, the panic room, bearer bonds, and propane tank are chosen
David Fincher, after a tentative Jared Leto suggestion
In the discussion (2)
- Jared Leto is raised tentatively before David Fincher is selected
- Fincher is credited with making a version of the premise that would otherwise be forgettable
The panic room should have contained diabetes supplies
In the discussion (1)
- The room should have been stocked with a needle, orange juice, and an extra phone for Sarah
Casting What-Ifs
Most Rewatchable Scene
What’s Aged the Best?
What’s Aged the Worst?
The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
Apex Mountain
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?
Who Won the Movie?
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award