Trapped in their New York brownstone’s panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart), play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders—Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Raoul (Dwight Yoakam) and Junior (Jared Leto)—during a brutal home invasion. But the room itself is the focal point because what the intruders really want is inside it.
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Video Quality
The new 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Panic Room arrives with a 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR master supervised by director David Fincher. The first thing to note is that this film strangely enough never had a Blu-Ray release in the United States. Considering most fans are probably still rocking the old DVD, this release is a very welcome upgrade. For those who have not migrated to 4K UHD Blu-Ray as of yet, this release also comes with a Blu-Ray derived from the same master. The next thing to note is that this film was finished to a 2K digital intermediate and has been upscaled to 4K. While many may incorrectly argue that there are no benefits to putting a 2K master on a 4K disc, the reality is that Sony did not have a conformed film negative they could easily scan in 4K and completely rebuilding the raw materials in 4K along with the visual effects work would have been astronomically expensive.
Due to the limitations of the source, this release does not automatically enter the god-tier pantheon of transfers like so many releases from Sony, but this release is a welcome upgrade that fans will not want to miss. You can finally see specific details within the makeup effects, clothing, and production design that were not as defined previously in the land of standard definition. The various rooms in the home are also given more depth which is cool to explore. The larger issues with the release do not come from this being an upscale, but rather the tinkering of David Fincher. Fans of his know he is a perfectionist, to put it kindly, and his home entertainment releases have shown he is going to take any opportunity to fix what bothers him. This includes straightening curtains, cleaning up marks on the walls, and more. Along with this, touches of DNR are applied that rob some shots of whatever organic quality they have left. Thankfully, the truly underwhelming shots are left to a minimum and will not likely phase casual viewers.
The implementation of Dolby Vision is a major benefit, although fans should not expect something exceptionally vibrant. When your movie is set nearly all at night in one drab brownstone, there is only so much you can extract. This transfer thrives as the Dolby Vision aids the contrast of the film with intensely deep black levels that rarely succumb to the banding. Scenes reveal more shadow detail that cannot be achieved with a lesser format. Highlights offer more fetching stability without veering into blooming. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you an exquisite amount of facial detail. The new disc is not the best you have ever seen by a long stretch, but this 4K UHD Blu-Ray does what it needs to even when facing numerous obstacles.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray gets an audio upgrade in the form of a burly Dolby Atmos track that gives the film an even more deeply immersive soundscape. For purists, the new disc also offers up the original soundtrack in lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. Both of these tracks are shining stars in their own ways, but we are glad Sony continues to give fans a choice. Those who stick with the original track may not get the latest in audio technology but you get a pure experience that is essentially perfect. The original DTS-HD 5.1 track is not quite as immersive as the Atmos track, but it handles the material without a hitch.
With the Atmos track, you are in for a ride from the opening notes of the incredible Howard Shore score as the music swirls around you with lovely expansion. The additional channels allow it to exceptionally saturate the room and ground you in the world of the story. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without ever getting covered up by the music or sound effects. The front channels take on the majority of the dialogue and other discrete sounds, but activity extends to the surrounds, rears, and overhead speakers to make the world feel more lived-in. The sounds up above such as characters creeping across the floor enhance the world without feeling artificial or distracting. The low end effects from the subwoofer give moments like gunfire extra power. Atmospheric sound effects are impeccably rendered within the mix so that the directionality is always accurate. Sony has delivered on all fronts. Optional English, English SDH, and a myriad of other subtitles are provided.
Special Features
Sony has provided Panic Room with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is pleasing in person. The front artwork is the title of the film over a picture of Meg and Sarah in the panic room, and the rear features a photo collage of scenes from the film. The interior continues this photo collage. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.
Blu-Ray (Disc Two)
- Audio Commentaries
- Cast Commentary: Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker and Dwight Yoakam
- Director’s Commentary: Director David Fincher
- Writer’s Commentary: Writer David Koepp and William Goldman
- Pre-Production
- Prep
- The Testing Phase (16:33)
- Safe Cracking School (12:54)
- Previsualization
- Creating the Previs (10:23)
- Previs Demo (3:34)
- Previs Demo with Commentary (3:34)
- Habitrail Film (1:04)
- Multi-Angle Featurette (38:30)
- Production
- Shooting Panic Room (52:37)
- Make Up Effects (8:57)
- Easter Eggs
- Real Safe Rooms (6:18)
- Breaking The Mirror (2:17)
Blu-Ray (Disc Three)
- Visual Effects (1:21:53)
- Scoring
- Main Titles
- Orchestra (2:15)
- Composite (2:15)
- Sealing The House
- Orchestra (2:57)
- Composite (2:57)
- The Phone Call
- Orchestra 1 (3:37)
- Orchestra 2 (3:37)
- Orchestra 3 (3:37)
- Orchestra 4 (3:37)
- Composite (3:37)
- Altman
- Orchestra (4:24)
- Composite (4:24)
- Sound Design (15:16)
- Digital Intermediate (10:44)
- Super 35 Technical Explanation (Interactive Text)
- Sequence Breakdowns
- The Phone Jack
- Script (2:06)
- Storyboards (1:18)
- B-Roll (5:34)
- Dailies (13:49)
- Tests (0:35)
- End of Junior
- Script (2:06)
- Storyboards (1:10)
- B-Roll (5:39)
- Dailies (5:24)
- Tests (3:32)
- Hammer Time
- Script (1:26)
- Storyboards (1:50)
- B-Roll (4:12)
- Dailies (4:52)
- Tests (5:35)
- Burnham Surrounded
- Script (1:26)
- Storyboards (1:34)
- B-Roll (5:18)
- Dailies (4:01)
- Tests (1:41)
- Teaser Trailer (1:55)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:26)
- DVD Credits (3:28)
Final Thoughts
Panic Room is a rather straightforward film from David Fincher, yet it shows how thrilling this subgenre can be when in the hands of a master filmmaker. The story moves along at a propulsive pace while never sacrificing character moments. The performances all deliver in the way they need to, and there is nothing so contrived that it ruins the enjoyment of the journey. This is a blast! Sony Pictures has released a new Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook featuring a really good A/V presentation and a vast assortment of archival special features. If you only own this one on DVD or not at all, this package is a no-brainer for anyone looking to add the best version to their collection. Recommended
Panic Room is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
