I think the theme is well expressed by Gloria Gaynor, "I Will Survive": At first I was afraid I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side. But then I spent so many nights... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I Except, for Meg, it's a single night, and, sadly, no disco rollerskates are involved.

Hmm... I am not so sure about this analysis. To me, they are talking more about "symbols" than "theme." Other than perhaps the Technology/Safety aspect of it - that is a bit more thematic, technology giving this false sense of security, when really there are more fundamental issues of what people want vs. need and how they can be safe. What this analysis does not mention is what I saw as the major theme - greed, and want vs. need. It was reasonably well developed in the script - Meg choosing to get this huge apartment that she is clearly not tht comfortable with because, as her real estate agent pushes her by saying "You can afford it." As if that is the reason to get it. Instead of thinking about what she wants, what she needs... which is not something as big and scary! And the robbers are, of course, also motivated by greed. Two of them die, and the third is going to end up in jail. Burnham, especially, is set up as an example here - his gambling debts (again, all motivated by greed for money, getting his big monster hand) made him go into crime to pay them off. So even though he has a core of being a fundamentally good and caring guy who knows right from wrong - his greed overpowers those good attributes, sends him down the wrong path. And by the time he returns to the good path, it is too late - he has got himself into too much trouble, and now he is going to pay for all that greed by a lifetime in jail. But the film really brought this theme home very well in the closing sequence. It was clear throughout how the robbers' greed was their downfall - all three of them paid in the end. But the closing is Meg and Sarah on the park bench, reading ads for a new apartment. It goes on much longer in the script, and it is very clear that they are just looking for a small two bedroom place. They ave learned their lesson - don't get something big just because you can afford it. Think of what you want, what you need, and go for that. Don't be greedy. I thought that ending really closed off the film very well. The robbers' greed, ad how it brought their downfalls, was blatant throughout. But that closing showed how Meg was guilty of the same thing - thoughtless greed getting her into trouble. A nice parallel story, or echo of the main theme.

(BTW, by "this analysis" I mean the HollywoodJesis.com one in Scott's original post, not Atlanta's one - which was not yet posted when I started typing!)

"Analysis" is entirely kind, Jacqueline :-). Gut reaction more accurate. Panic Room does strike me as a great version of the wife leaving abusive husband movies, but instead of just that one layer, it adds lots more, and all the layers serve to reinforce the primal message, you can survive. And the paramilitary aspect, and going Sarah Connor in one night, very entertaining layers.