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Panic is a sneaky little gem of a film - you think you have it figured out by the first half hour only to realize, with great pleasure, that Henry Bromell is a much better writer/director than that.

The film builds slowly, with one quietly devastating scene after another, all enacted perfectly by William H. Macy, Donald Sutherland, Neve Campbell, Tracey Ullman, John Ritter, and the most remarkable child actor I've seen in a long time, David Dorfman, as Macy's son, who delivers his lines as if they're completely unscripted thoughts being created in his mind. Rich and rewarding, this film will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.

Why Panic never got a good theatrical release is easily seen: it's much too smart, and audiences would have probably had a difficult time with it, comparing it to American Beauty in its probing of a midlife crisis, and Sopranos and Analyze This in it's study of illegal goings-on amidst family life. Though Panic may seem to derive from unoriginal material, Brommel's lifelike characters coupled with deft dialogue and observant direction make the film a realistic look at the undoing of a middle aged man.

William H. Macy stars as Alex, a hitman who works for his father's (Sutherland) contract-killing business. He leads a double life, with his wife (Ullman) and son unaware of his real trade. In his middle-age, he becomes increasingly disgusted with what he has done all his life. Under his calm, collected facade stirs repressed resentment for his father's controlling grasp on his life. When he meets a young woman(Campbell) he feels invigored and decides it's time to quit the family business.

The fact that writer/director Henry Brommel decided to make the profession his main character was trying to break away from contract-killing is disposable. He could have easily substituted it with any undesirable profession; his characters are so well-developed and believable, scenes handled so smoothly and realisticly and dialogue written so insightfully and naturally that the focus falls on Macy's conflicted character rather than his job as a hitman. Brommel's script feels like a Shakespearean tragedy, with a definite theme of destiny running throughout.

In Alex, Macy creates a tragic, easily sympathetic character, and turns in yet another brooding, great performance, as can always be expected. Donald Sutherland is also effectively abrasive and abusive as his overbearing father, and Ullman's dramatic turn as Macy's wife is a welcome change for the comedian. Consider a scene in a bicycle shop, where her mood subtly darkens and peaks in an affecting scene of emotional confusion.

Henry Brommel's first feature, Panic is a film that is well-crafted in its sincerity. With a first-rate cast, a plausible script, terse dialogue, and nice direction, this character-study is hopefully just a taste of Brommel's aptness for creating characters that seem real.

8 out of 10

I recently caught up with this little gem of a film on cable. It took me by surprise, even though, I should have expected it from the team involved with this movie.

Henry Bromwell directed this film with a sure hand, and it shows. One always wonders about the secret life of hit killers. One doesn't have to go too far to realize they probably are one's own neighbors, or social acquaintances, or even friends; they're no different from us, at least on the surface.

In this story, the grandfather, is a despicable character who does not hesitate in eliminating anyone for the right price. He has no scruples in teaching the ropes to his own son, and even to the grandson!

Alex, is a man living in turmoil. He knows what he has done in the past and suddenly is coming to realize the consequence of his actions. He has to see someone to help him find peace with himself. In going to Dr. Parks, he is trying to find absolution, although, he doesn't find it there. On the contrary, there is a dramatic twist when Alex learns about who is supposed to kill next.

Alex, brilliantly portrayed by William H. Macy, mesmerizes us. Not only is he a fantastic actor, but he makes us believe he is that man. One of the best things in the movie is the late John Ritter. He is equally convincing as Dr. Parks, the man who unravels the mystery.

Donald Sutherland, as the grandfather is perfect. He is a natural actor in everything he does. Neve Campbell surprised in her pivotal role of Sarah. She shows a capability and range that are incredible. Tracey Ullman is Martha, the suffering wife, and she doesn't get to do much. Also Barbara Bain, in a rare appearance, is the grandmother from hell. David Dorfman, is a delight in the film. He shows a maturity beyond his years.

The `banality of evil' has long been a source of fascination for those artists exploring the dark side of human nature. Gloomy houses filled with vengeful spirits or twitching psychos hold less fear for the common man than the sudden discovery that the `people next door,' the PTA member down the street, or the social director for the local church youth group are the true villains who surround us unnoticed, people whose very `normalcy' serves to mask the evil within. For only when the mask is finally ripped off and we at last get to see what we have been living next to all along do we come to realize how very tenuous is our security and safety in this world. What could be scarier than that?

In this category of works, `Panic' emerges as a genuinely chilling, emotionally unsettling psychological thriller, short on gratuitous violence and long on characterization and mood. Writer/director Henry Bromell has fashioned a dark, disturbing tale of a man named Alex (William H. Macy) who seeks the professional help of a therapist played by John Ritter. Alex's problem is a decidedly unique one: it seems that, since he's been a teen, he has served as hit man for his father (Donald Sutherland) whose mysterious, shady `business' apparently calls for the elimination of certain parties at the request of unknown `clients.' Alex is a seemingly good man, devoted to his wife and son, who has somehow found a way to distance himself emotionally and morally from the heinous crimes he commits. Yet, obviously, Alex has arrived at a point of moral reckoning – for how else to explain his sudden need to unburden himself to this total stranger? Macy gives a brilliant performance as Alex, showing, in his totally understated reactions to the people and events around him, what it is like to be buttoned up so tight that even with all the mayhem and filial abuse he's experienced in his life he is able to truthfully say `I don't know if I've ever been angry' – even at his father who got him into this life in the first place.

What makes `Panic' so unsettling is that it violates all our comforting notions about the ties that bind father to son and family members to each other. Rather than setting a fine moral example for their child, both of Alex's parents, Michael (Donald Sutherland) and Deidre (Barbara Bain), have actually groomed him to become a cold-blooded killer. Yet, life seems to go on in surface ease within the confines of not only that family but Alex's own family as well. Alex keeps the truth hidden from both his wife, Martha (Tracy Ullman) and his 6-year old son, Sammy (David Dorfman), allowing them to function almost as any other normal suburban family.

Yet, Alex has other, perhaps more mundane problems as well. He meets a somewhat disturbed 23-year old fellow patient named Sarah (Neve Campbell) to whom he feels an immediate attraction. Tentatively, these two lost souls grope towards each other, both of them hoping to find in the other that which is lacking in themselves. But in many ways, Alex is actually a man of strong moral character in certain aspects of his life and he agonizes over taking the initial step towards consummating their relationship, knowing it will harm the wife he loves but no longer feels attracted to. Bromell's sophisticated screenplay refuses to spell out every psychological detail for the audience, allowing us to make our own connections, draw our own conclusions and reach our own moral judgments. As director as well, Bromell establishes and maintains a mood of almost heartbreaking melancholy and sadness. Characters rarely speak above a hush; the camera glides slowly along taking in the scene at a leisurely, unhurried pace; and the haunting musical score heightens the strange unreality of the world which these people have come to inhabit, a world that seems to call into question everything we take for granted in the area of morality, ethics and basic common decency.

The performances from every member of the cast (right on down to little David Dorfman) are letter perfect. Each of these fine actors knows exactly the right note to hit in every scene, never cutting against the grain of understated seriousness that Bromell has established.

`Panic' is a small, underrated gem that lingers long in one's memory.

"Panic" is a captivating, blurred-genre film about a brooding and conflicted middle aged hitman's reconciliation of infatuation with a younger uninhibited hairstylist, his love of wife and son, his duty to his employer/father with his own identity. Although the film has a nebulous purpose and an ambiguous ending, it is a superb production in almost all aspects. The characters' clarity and sincerity in such an improbable story may both fascinate and annoy audiences.

This film has so many good things about it that watching it was frustrating for me, since I could never swallow the story line.

William H. Macy plays Alex, a hit man who is carrying on the family business under pressure from his father. The first obstacle for me was accepting the mild-mannered Macy as a hit man. I can accept the fact that there are hit men living in apparently normal circumstances and keeping their business a secret, I just did not accept Macy in the role. As the father I suppose Donald Sutherland portrays a person who is amoral enough to be a hit man, but there again there was some hardness lacking. Think of the hit men in "The Godfather" and compare.

The next obstacle was believing in the relationship that developed between the young, beautiful and lively Sarah (Neve Campbell) and the confused, middle-aged and withdrawn Alex? What was there about Alex that would attract Sarah, who was shown as predominately lesbian? I didn't see it.

The scenes with Alex and his six year old son Sammy were touching and were the only scenes where Alex seemed relaxed and engaged. But the kid spoke in a manner way beyond his years and clearly was just reciting written dialog.

Alex has kept his death-dealing profession a secret from his wife. Supposedly he made a living by running a mail-order business selling lawn ornaments, kitchen gadgets, sexual aids and such. Does his wife really think that he is supporting the family with that kind of business? She would certainly have to be involved in such a business to make a go of it, and consequently she would know about the finances and see that things did not add up.

The dialog tended toward the affected. For example the first lines in the movie have Alex saying to himself, "Do you ever get the feeling that you're dead? Like some dog lying on the street that's been hit by a car and left there to rot." Does anyone actually talk to himself like that?

The music tries to add an element of suspense and threat but I felt it was too intrusive.

Having said all of that, the beautiful photography saved this movie for me. The settings are artistically composed and the lighting impressive. And the actors are all in good form. It's too bad that all of this talent was not put to better use.

A man wants to quit the family business of contract killing in this uneasy mixture of black comedy and drama. If it had been constructed as a comedy, it had possibilities, but the dramatic parts fall flat due to clichéd characters and a trite script. Macy seems too old for the role of the whiny killer who learns that his shrink is his next hit. Campbell is a hottie lesbian who is attracted to the plain, middle-aged Macy; that's about as believable as it sounds. The best thing about this forgettable film is the adorable performance of seven-year-old Dorfman as Macy's precocious son. Bromell makes his film debut as writer and director, but is not up to the task.

A brilliant movie about family, guilt, sacrifice, betrayal, and love. Macy is such a great actor. It was almost a shame to see him in the same scenes with Campbell, who looks the part of a neurotic sex object but doesn't have the chops to work with him on the level the script called for. But he's such a good actor that he played down to her level to make the scenes work. I highly applaud the casting of Tracey Ullman as the neglected wife. Who knew? Sutherland is also very good. The way he moves makes his character look taller (and even younger in some scenes). Almost everyone knew what they were doing.

Macy's portrayal of the only situation in which his character is not able to be careful is nothing short of complete mastery.

People wandering around moping about their lives, spouting gibberish nobody would say in real life. Shot on small sets with static cameras.

There is no world where Neve Campbell, her character an avowed Letzbefriends, falls for middle-aged bumbler William H Muffman after a few conversations in the therapist's waiting room.

OK, so he's secretly a hitman. Who is tasked with wacking his shrink. Which we know because he pulls out John Ritter's photos in a diner. I mean, show some discretion, man. You're supposed to be a professional.

It's all such nonsense.

I bailed when Dad Donald Sutherland hands flashback kid WH Macy a James Bond gun and lets him fire off a round at a squirrel. No hearing protection. No eye protection. No lessons about holding the gun properly. No gun safety demonstration. Even NRA nutjobs must have been appalled watching that scene.

Tracy Ullmann looked good, though.

This is the kind of movie Hollywood needs to make more of. No extravagant props, no car chases, no clever one-liners. Just people dealing with being people.

William Macy plays an unlikely hitman who works for his father, Donald Sutherland. Macy is the dutiful son, Sutherland is the domineering father. Son wants out of the business, father won't let him. Macy loves his own son, played beautifully by David Dorfman ("The Ring"). He also starts to fall in love with Neve Campbell, a girl he meets in the waiting room of his psychiatrist's office.

It's an interesting juxtaposition of characters and the film follows the reluctant killer as he balances his own needs with those of his family. There are many touching scenes, especially between Macy and his little boy. And as you'd expect in a film with William Macy in it, there's a bit of humor too.

Excellent job all around, actors and director. Nice to know they can still make a good film in Hollywood on a small budget.

Alex (William H. Macy) is tired of the family business. His father Michael (Donald Sutherland) taught him to be a killer from a young age. He goes to psychiatrist Dr. Josh Parks (John Ritter) and falls for fellow patient Sarah Cassidy (Neve Campbell) despite being married to Martha (Tracey Ullman). His father gives him his next assignment, Dr. Parks. He struggles with his feelings for Sarah and his job. Then his father starts training his son Sammy.

The mood is a bit depressed. It doesn't have much intensity. The movie feels short not only in the running time. It feels like the flirtations are cut short. There is a great scene with Alex and Sarah. The movie needs to have more of those scenes. There could also be more conflict with the father. The tension could be ratchet up. His wife could have caught him with Sarah. The movie needs to inject more danger and more tension. Overall, this is a quiet moody little movie.

I really like William H. Macy and Neve Campbell, so I figured I'd give this a shot. Now, I'm mystified. First by "whats the point of a movie like this?" ...and secondly, why does a reviewer like Roger Ebert give this 100 out of 100?

Nothing happens. Sad hit-man goes to therapy, remains a sad hit-man with no overt changes, until the end, when he rebels briefly, and the movie ends. The story wasn't compelling, and the only character of interest is Campbell's Sarah, and there isn't enough of her. Thankfully short at only 88 minutes, this film is a boring slog that goes nowhere of note. If you want to see a dark comedy about a hit-man in crisis, watch the infinitely superior "Grosse Pointe Blank." Don't waste your time on "Panic;" it's not worth the 88 minutes. A "3" because I'm feeling generous tonight...

I gotta stop buying DVDs sight unseen. It happened with Affliction and now with Panic. I bought into the rave reviews and felt disappointed after watching it. This could have been a truly great film...if ONLY they had focused on the father/son relationship and left that godawful May/September romance on the cutting room floor. If only Neve Campbell's character had some smarts, maybe even a little class to separate her from the rest of the LA airheads it MIGHT have worked. She was nothing but a tease and it distracted from the movie greatly. She and Macy had NO chemistry together and their scenes were a total waste of time. Every time they were on screen together, you keep asking the same thing: When are we going to see Sutherland again? I'm a child of the 60's when movies were VERY good. So, when I hear some young person praise a recent movie as great, I must remember that "great" movies made today would have been only "good" in the sixties. I refer back to what I call the John Carpenter Syndrome. It works like this. John Carpenter made some good thrillers/horrors back in the seventies. But compared to the crap being produced today, they seem like GREAT films. People must remember that they're good films existing in a garbage heap of crap will seem better than they are.

I am disappointed that I had never heard of this movie. Rented it on Netflix and found it very good on several levels. I don't remember seeing this on cable, but I suppose it has been.

The acting is top notch. Sutherland, as usual plays evil so well, with a subtle edge.Tracy Ullman was surprisingly good and the little boy, David Dorfman was good. Neve Campbell is almost always a delight. John Ritter also does a fine job in this.

The plot could have twisted several ways, but I am satisfied with the way it ended. The ending was a little "neat" but, so what. Definitely worth a watch.

Panic delivers the goods ten fold with Oscar caliber performances from William H Macy, Neve Campbell, and Donald Sutherland. In a movie about the choices we make and the consequences we live with. Chillingly Honest and thought provoking, Panic is easily one of the best film to come out of Hollywood in years. The impact stays with you right after you leave the theater.

This winningly compact, pleasingly contemplative, psychologically twisted thriller is blessed with a truly exceptional cast which resolutely remains an engaging, and beautifully melancholy work of wickedly blackened comedy. 'Panic'is a bright, smartly constructed cinematic jewel that certainly hasn't lost any of its beguiling appeal. Once again, the exquisitely rumpled charisma of gifted actor William H. Macy is put to effective use as the existentially distressed Alex, Macy imbues his reluctant hitman with a relatable human frailty and resonating depth of feeling one only rarely sees in genre cinema, with John Ritter being no less fabulous as the increasingly beleaguered psychiatrist Dr. Parks, and canny writer/director Henry Bramwell's cool, powerfully compelling, unhurried film-making style is appealingly languid; much like a feeding constrictor, Bramwell's terse narrative's apparent languor and deliberate pacing belies a steely core which rigorously maintains its insistent grip until the film's deliciously fraught conclusion. Henry Bramwell's 'Panic' has a sardonic, tantalizing skewed view of dark family politics that I found impossible to resist!

'Alex is a completely normal Joe who kills people!'

One wonders why Mr. Macy bothered signing on to this travesty. The only character with any modicum of intelligence was the person playing his child(perhaps a future replacement for Haley Joel Osmond)?. Mr Sutherland hasn't had a reputable role since he fondled Kristy Swanson in 1992.

At the beginning it appears to have some plot but the appearance of John Ritter should give one notice that there is nothing of importance coming at the "climax". The addition of Neve Campbell brings the small bit of psychological intrigue to an abrupt end(why have an inspiring thought when you can see Neve's tits instead?).

The ending leave you wondering what happened and why did you waste your time watching.

It has long been debated whether genetics or the environment have more of an effect on childhood development. Although there are many cases supporting and disapproving both theories, it is hard to argue against the fact that children raised in a hostile environment are usually aggressive themselves. In Henry Bromell's Panic (2000) Alex (William H. Macy) was trained to be an assassin at a very young age by his father (Donald Sutherland). After a childhood of practicing on squirrels, rabbits, and other animals, Alex becomes the primary hit-man in his father's family business of contract killing. Years go by and Alex never complains about having to assassinate numerous people (some innocent). However, eventually Alex realizes that he is suffering from severe depression and he can't figure out why. He has a loving family, yet he aspires for a dramatic change in not only his occupation but his entire lifestyle. In an attempt to transform his life, Alex begins forming a romantic friendship with a young girl (Neve Campbell) he meets at his psychologist's office. Also, for the first time he begins to stand up to his parents, who have always demanded perfection from him especially when working on the job. The relationships that Alex has with the people closest to him including his psychiatrist and his new love interest are what make Panic a superior thriller.

Personally my favorite scenes are the flashback sequences in which Alex's father (Donald Sutherland) teaches his son the art of murder. All of these scenes have a very creepy undertone caused by the way Sutherland reacts lightly to the murdering of innocent animals and people. Very few actors are able to pull this off to the same extent as Sutherland does, which can also be seen in one of my favorite films from the 1980s called Eye of the Needle (1981). Overall, Panic may be hard to find at Blockbuster or Movie Gallery since it was such a low-budget film, but if you are a member of Instant Netflix it is definitely worth your time. Although there are not many action sequences, it is more thrilling than most films.

Macy is a family man and also somehow a hitman that finds himself in the shrinks office. He meets Neve Campbell in the waiting room and things start to fall apart as he tries to pry himself from his current life. Performances fall apart at the end, along with the focus of the narrative.

Kudos to whoever cut the trailer for this film, because they made it seem really quite riveting. Having seen it, though, it was like the worst case scenario of someone directing their own writing without the benefit of a third party's eye for catching sloppy dialogue and silly plot devices.

The first 75 minutes of this film's hour-and-a-half running time comprise a painfully dull mosaic of exposition made up of conversations about and references to something other than what's happening on the screen. The reward for suffering through this hodgepodge of contrived dialogue and manufactured "plot twists" is a predictably goofy ending that tries too hard to be impactful and, instead, ends up as empty as the rest of the movie.

I understand Neve Campbell being in this film, but what talented performers like William H. Macy and Donald Sutherland were doing within 50 miles of this stinker is beyond me. If I must claim a silver lining, it's John Ritter's sporadic appearances. He is one of the best actors in film today, and it's sad he's not given deeper roles.

The only people I'd recommend this to is aspiring screen writers. Hopefully they'll gain confidence in their own work upon seeing the nonsense that passes off as a "dramatic thriller" today.