Panic brings an intriguing premise to the screen: Alex, a hitman facing a personal crisis, seeks out therapy and finds himself at a crossroads between his dangerous family business, a tempting new connection, and the life he’s built for his family. While the film has moments that engage, it ultimately leaves much to be desired, making it a mixed viewing experience. Plot and Premise The story centers on Alex, who reveals to his therapist that he’s a professional killer. As he opens up, he becomes infatuated with Sarah, a young woman he meets in the waiting room. This new attraction complicates his already tangled emotions, especially as he contemplates his next assignment, which his father handed down: killing the very therapist he’s confiding in. The flashbacks add depth to Alex’s character, showing how he fell into the life of a hitman under his father’s guidance. Character Dynamics The film explores Alex’s relationships with those around him, particularly Sarah, his therapist, and his family. While his interactions with Sarah are intriguing, the chemistry between them feels uneven at times. Alex’s inner conflict and his sense of duty to his family provide some compelling moments, but these are not fully fleshed out. His journey with the therapist has the potential for suspense and introspection, yet it often feels underdeveloped, which may leave viewers wanting more from these key relationships. Themes and Execution Thematically, Panic tries to balance suspense with a character-driven story about purpose, family loyalty, and redemption. However, the movie struggles to sustain a consistent tone, making it difficult to fully engage with the stakes or feel invested in Alex’s dilemma. The flashbacks give some insight into his past, but the story doesn’t quite reach the emotional depth it aims for. It feels like the film stops just short of exploring the complexity of Alex’s moral conflict. Final Thoughts Overall, Panic has an interesting foundation and some compelling ideas, but its uneven pacing and underdeveloped character arcs prevent it from reaching its potential. It exceeded my initial expectations in some areas, such as its premise and occasional suspenseful moments, but it ultimately left me wanting more. I’d rate Panic a 5 out of 10 — it’s a film with promise that unfortunately doesn’t quite live up to it. 1. Character Development Did the film do enough to explore Alex’s emotional turmoil and his journey toward self-understanding? Could more time have been spent on his backstory or therapy sessions? 2. Tone and Genre Does Panic work better as a thriller, a character study, or a combination of both? Did the mix of suspense and introspection come across effectively, or did it feel uneven? 3. Moral Conflict How well does the film portray Alex’s struggle between his family loyalty, his role as a hitman, and his desire for a different life? Are his motivations clear and believable?

Discount American Beauty.

Forget Wm H Macy - he's a already-known factor. The support cast makes him even better: Neve Campbell is at her best, so subtle and yet revealing. And that kid is such a SMART little actor: David Dorfman. This is a thrilling yet pondering movie. Worth watching twice!

Too ridiculous to work as a drama.

A hit man goes to a local therapist to help solve the reason for his unhappiness meanwhile finding love in a girl half his age.

Too short. This movie is good but it’s under 90-minutes. The 1st and 2nd act were good but there was no 3rd act. Everything ends pretty abruptly. The plot is simple and easy to follow and the characters are well fleshed out given the limited screen time. This film should’ve been 20-minutes longer

Wow! This movie has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics. It must have been mind blowing to have a hitman see a shrink in the late 90s/early 2000s. This movie is NOT good. It has decent performances from a good cast (William H Macy, Donald Sutherland, Neve Campbell, John Ritter). The plot is very thin and this movie doesn't hold up well over 20 years later.

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.

Loved every minute. Funny, dark, sad, hopeful, redeeming. I was sucked into that world and caught up in those lives.

Dark drama, with a few light moments, gloomy mood without much joy throughout. Seemed like much wasted potential with several members of the very talented cast.

A black comedy of a hit man trying to get out but digs himself in much deeper. It's a point in someone's life where they panic about what to actually do next for themselves. William H. Macy, Neve Campbell, John Ritter, and Donald Sutherland. Alex is a professional hitman. He's married with a son and works for his father who built his empire from the ground up. He explains to Dr. Parks, his therapist his current predicament. He wants out of the business and he's fallen in love with a young woman named Sara. She sees her own therapist about her current sexual identity crisis. Alex's mother doesn't want him to leave for it'll devastate his father. But how long until Alex's own son follows in his troubled father's footsteps? Either he has to take charge or let the rest of his killings run things for him. The movie has great focus on Macy as Alex but also gives his family much needed dimension, too. Campbell is spectacular being stuck in between herself wondering if she's unbalanced or just unfulfilled. Sutherland plays the smarmy father figure just eager to push the men in his family to buck up. Ritter plays the psychiatrist with such ease grasping to understanding Alex's profession. The whole thing isn't straight up played for laughs but to me it was more dramatic. Dives deep into the psychosis of a killer conflicted with himself about what he actually wants. How many other movies focus on a gangster in therapy? With a dramatic score to boot this has some nicely spun together characters all panicking in their own manner. This is a great starring vehicle for William H. Macy and another one of my favorite roles of Neve Campbell.

A sensitive, moving drama. Strong performances throughout the entire film. As usual, Donald Sutherland is just outstanding....

Great acting, strange plot. Love the little kid, adorable. Sutherland is always slyly powerful and Ullman is as usual, human. And Macy???

It is one of a kind. The actors were believable, the theme was disturbing but interesting to watch.

At the beginning I was perplex, didn't take me that much. But when it did, it grew pretty fast. It's interesting: realistic yet unreal, quiet yet vibrating, flowed yet powerful. It looks like a middle-age crises can come, doesn't matter the profession or how good a father you are. Ps: the kid is great

Under rated. Under appreciated. Campbell and Macy first rate in the lead with those in support superb. Joy truly flows in the grooves etched by pain.

"Panic" es una excelente cinta que cuenta con un gran actor: William H. Macy. Macy interpreta a un asesino a sueldo que acude a un psiquiatra (John Ritter) para tratar de abandonar el oficio, liberarse de sus diabólicos padres (Donald Sutherland y Barbara Bain) y sentirse joven de nuevo gracias a una joven a la que conoce en la sala de espera (Neve Campbell). Gracias a una estupenda dirección, unos actores que dan lo mejor de sí y su ritmo que deja conocer a los personajes y sus situaciones, "Panic" es una de esas grandes películas que pocos han visto pero que todos deberían ver.

"Panic" es una excelente cinta que cuenta con un gran actor: William H. Macy. Macy interpreta a un asesino a sueldo que acude a un psiquiatra (John Ritter) para tratar de abandonar el oficio, liberarse de sus diabólicos padres (Donald Sutherland y Barbara Bain) y sentirse joven de nuevo gracias a una joven a la que conoce en la sala de espera (Neve Campbell). Gracias a una estupenda dirección, unos actores que dan lo mejor de sí y su ritmo que deja conocer a los personajes y sus situaciones, "Panic" es una de esas grandes películas que pocos han visto pero que todos deberían ver.

Kept me interested and engaged with the characters.

Macy is gold in this little film that otherwise would get 2-2.5 stars. The premise of the film is a bit preposterous, but if you can get past that it's OK. Neve Campbell is also pretty good here and holds her own as does John Ritter (so sad he had to pass on prematurely). The film has a rather abrupt ending that could have been handled better but overall it's a decent little gem that is worth it for Macy's work alone.