Azyl

A suspenseful and novel plot. There is no Fincher's darkness this time, "only" a very solid thriller, spiced up with a few gimmicks (the camera passing through the ear of the teapot). Jodie Foster is great as always, and it’s nice to see Forest Whitaker again, even in a villain role, but with a good heart. It couldn’t have been any other way with him :) (13.01.2003)

Decent crime thriller that is interesting in terms of direction. Fincher knows better pieces, but he still works his magic with the camera here, choosing unusual angles for filming, playing with silhouettes behind doors, using darkness to emphasize the atmosphere of an abandoned house. The weaker aspect is rather the script, which squeaks a few times (just like the late arrival of the police considering it's a luxurious prominent neighborhood) and above all spoils the ending of the film. It could have been more inventive, similar endings are already known to the audience from a number of other films. As expected, Foster and Whitaker dominate the acting side. Overall impression: 75%. (16.08.2008)

A casual viewer will hardly appreciate David Fincher's brilliant camerawork and the subtle noir atmosphere of the entire film. The script is indeed simple, but the main characters are brilliantly portrayed and the settings of the large villa, bad weather, and Jodie Foster's believable acting contribute a lot. For fans of the genre and Fincher's films, it is truly an exceptional work. For most others, however, it will likely be just an average cat and mouse game with a slightly exaggerated ending. (01.11.2003)

Fincher's beloved toy for entertainment, which raises credit through three aspects: the perfect atmosphere of constant unease in the house, from which the camera only emerges sporadically, the ambiguous character of Whitaker, whom you cannot guess which side they will join until the last minute, and most importantly, Jodie Foster, who can play hysterical scenes with surprising bravado, on which most of her colleagues would break their teeth. Because of her, those three stars are better, but it needed more twists and script ideas. This way, the flyovers, details, and slow-motion shots get lost in their own purposelessness several times. 70% (13.08.2007)

David Fincher knows how to dose the tension in his thrillers. It is always based on a great idea and when it starts unfolding, it is clear he really enjoys his work, scene after the scene. When I was watching Panic Room, I was quite surprised why he is currently stuck with movies which quite contradict the things he is best at. However, I enjoyed this movie. I wish they would make more harsh and exciting thrillers like this in Hollywood. But I have a feeling that movies like this one are slowly becoming rare in the States. (11.02.2019)