I’ve been disappointed by director David Fincher (“Alien 3”, “Se7en”) but “Panic Room” surprised me, it’s a competent thriller done in the style of “Phone Booth” with its use of small spaces to provide the tension. It’s far from flawless and like most thrillers, it has its unbelievable moments but it ultimately works.

In “Panic Room”, divorcee Meg Altman (Jodie Foster “Silence of the Lambs”) and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart “Twilight”), move into a big, fancy, new house. It has a sophisticated panic room filled with tv monitors and unbreakable (for intended purposes) walls. It’s a good thing too because the first night, three guys get into the house and they aren’t leaving until they get what they want.

Foster works alright here but she isn’t terrific; her performance here reminded me of “Flightplan” (they’re both tense parental roles). Kristen Stewart is forgettable as the kid. The bad guys range from really good to really bad. The best is easily the one played by Forest Whitaker (“Platoon”, “The Butler”) as he’s played superbly and the guy has depth while the worst has got to be the one portrayed by Jared Leto (“Lord Of War”), who feels the need to flail his arms about like he’s suffering from illness.

At times, I felt “Panic Room” was giving off a “Home Alone” vibe but it manages to keep the thrills and twists coming as the film continues. The last act has a total reversal of roles and it’s by far the most intriguing part of the film. Considering Fincher has directed several movies I really didn’t like, I was really impressed how this movie shows that he has the ability to direct a movie that isn’t utterly boring and unnecessarily violent. If you like claustrophobic thrillers then “Phone Booth” is better but that’s no harm in checking out “Panic Room” either.