Panic Room

Here’s the feel-paranoid hit of the season. Nicole Kidman was originally slated to star in this dark, suspense-filled doozy from director David Fincher, but one too many can-can kicks on the set of Moulin Rouge forced her to back out at the last minute. Thankfully, her replacement is the all-too-scarce Jodie Foster. Fans of the original Clarice Starling can count on more than a little of her sizzle in this claustrophobic thriller. Panic Room centers on a hellacious night in the life of a New York divorcee whose spacious new brownstone is invaded by a trio of treasure-seeking felons (Forrest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, and a brutally corn-rowed Jared Leto). She and her daughter hole up in a special high-tech mini-fortress built into the house for just such a terrifying occasion. With a tension-monger like Fincher (Seven, Fight Club) at the helm, you can smell the shadowy interiors and perilous scenarios already—no wait, that’s the stale popcorn and “butter-flavored” topping. But you get the idea.