Panic [DVD] [2000] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

If you're a fan of William Macy, this is a must-see film. I think it is one of his finest roles, showcasing his ability to convey emotional complexity without being overly dramatic or over the top. In this film, he plays a hitman who is becoming increasingly tormented by being part of the family business, a business which just happens to be murder for hire, disposing of unwanted people for a hefty fee. The business is headed by Alex's father, played to psychotic perfection by Donald Sutherland, a man who is relentless in his determination to make Alex do his will. Tormented by the idea that his young son might follow his own path, Alex decides to see a psychiatrist (John Ritter). Neve Campbell, cast against type (for those of us who remember her in Scream) does a superb job playing a troubled young woman who encounters Alex in the psychiatrist's waiting room, eventually entering into an affair with him. I won't say more about the major events in this film but hope this brief intro intrigues you enough to want to see it. Although I plan to watch this one again and again, I do have to say this might not be for you if you want a movie full of non-stop action, suspense and violence. The drama here is mostly psychological, intense enough in its own way, but far different from that of an action film.

Alex (William Macy) needs to see a therapist. He is a hit man and wants to give up his job. The problem is this is a family business, although we are never told if this is part of the Mafia or a private business- the latter, I think. Anyway, in the waiting room, Alex runs into this beautiful young thing played by Never Campbell, and they start talking. What is Alex to do? His wife thinks he runs a mail order business and what he really does is kill people. Neve Campbell's character is someone who knows nothing, an innocent young thing, just what he needs.

Alex tells the therapist about his job and his therapist (John Ritter) is upfront. If Alex tells him about a forthcoming job he will have to report it, otherwise he is protected by doctor/patient confidentiality. Alex's father is played by Donald Sutherland, and a more cold blooded man would be hard to find. We see in flashbacks how Alex was trained by his old man and his first job as that of a killer.

"Panic" is one of those movies that grab you. It is well written, the actors are marvelous and just right for their parts. I had never heard of it. It is a quiet movie that seems to have come and gone. Daniel Dorfman is Alex's son, Sammy. What a fabulous young actor he is. We realize that Alex needs to save his son, so that the next generation, Sammy, that is, will not have to become a killer. A scene that is so telling is one of Gram and Grampa browbeating Sammy. We understand how Alex became the hit man, the murderer, the killer, the confused, mixed up man he is.

Alex makes a decision to quit this job. He will confront his father and put a stop to this horrible business. And why does Alex have to support his mother and father through this killing business? It is lucrative enough, so that dad tells Alex he will buy his wife a new Lexus and a vacation after the job is done. Just what kind of family is this? How did Alex such a wonderful man with a conscience, it seems, come to this family? What genetic characteristic is going to help him be finished, kaput, done, fini with the killing job? A great, great movie with a message and with a fabulous cast. Highly recommended- go find it now and rent it and watch it immediately! prisrob

There is a scene in the middle of the movie when Alex takes his son to see his grandfather, who has bought him a birthday present. It is the most interesting scene of the movie, and the heart from which everything else should radiate. It is the only time that Alex, his father, and his son are all onscreen at the same time and you realize that this is the conflict that is killing Alex -- he is his father's son, cynical, secretive, and ruthless, but he is also equally his son's father -- innocent, curious, and affectionate. Framed that way, both his father and his son can be seen as reflections of his own psyche. The reason why he is so blank, so tired and depressed, is that they cancel each other out. By then end of that scene I knew how the movie had to end.

The side story involving Neve Campbell isn't very interesting.