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Panic

No one gets out alive!

200291 minRMidcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Director
Bob Misiorowski
Starring
Rodney Rowland, Kristanna Loken, Alexander Enberg, Ted Shackelford

FAA system analyzer named Neil McCabe is the only person who seems to have this different hunch towards a group of international terrorists after a horrific plane incident occured. He thinks that an evil genius computer hacker sets out and manipulate the computer electronical system which linked to several airplanes to cause destruction and tragedy. In order to prevent the mishap, McCabe and his teammate, Rudy, finds out about the machine used by the criminals which leads them to a psychotic thrilling fight between the terrorist.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Panic?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Panic streaming on Howdy via Prime Video, Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Reception

Is Panic worth watching?

Panic's Midcredits score is the 3rd percentile of all films, from 1K ratings across 3 sources. 16% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

3rd percentile

Better received than 3% of films

7th percentile among Action4th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)6th
Approval (how many liked it)4th

42 /100

6th percentile of all films

11th percentile among Action6th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

16% liked it

4th percentile of all films

9th percentile among Action3rd percentile among 2000s
16% rated it 7–1084% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

40th percentile

1K ratings across platforms

26th percentile among Action32nd percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 1% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A low-budget airplane disaster thriller with a hacker-controlling-the-plane premise, marred by poor CGI and clichés.

Fans praised

  • lead performances by Rodney Rowland and Kristanna Loken
  • engaging high-stakes premise
  • energetic thriller pacing

Detractors panned

  • horrible low-budget CGI, worse than 1980s video games
  • cliché-ridden, unoriginal plot with every hijack trope
  • ludicrous aviation inaccuracies and factual errors

What stands out

ActingDivisive48

Rodney Rowland praised by both camps; Kristanna Loken seen as OK or gorgeous

TensionDivisive40

nonstop action vs. flat despite chaos

PacingDivisive40

energetic and nonstop action vs. flat and unexciting

Plot and storyDivisive25

hacker hijacks plane via computer; clichéd and derivative

CharactersDivisive25

stock hero, villain, and passengers; thinly written

Originality15

every hijack cliché present; unoriginal

Effects and spectacle12

CGI horrendous, worse than games from 1984 or 1999

Watch experience

What is Panic like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you satisfied.

Style

  • Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
  • Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.

How it leaves you

  • Cathartic
  • Unsettling

Themes

  • Justice
  • Survival
  • Friendship

What it asks of you

  • Relentless
  • Engaged
  • Easy watch
  • Resolved

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • In transit
  • Institutional

The answer rests on this: Feelings

  • Tense
  • Thrilling

Story

  • Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.
ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

Heaviest: throughout
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its disaster thriller premise straight despite low-budget execution, aiming for earnest tension rather than irony.
The rideReviews emphasize non-stop action from start to finish, with a consistent sense of encroaching danger once the plane is airborne.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional three-act structure: setup of the threat, investigation and boarding the plane, and a climactic confrontation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Satisfied.

Why it leaves you this wayThe viewer may feel a catharsis from the hero's victory over the hacker, but the premise of remote-controlled planes and near-disaster leaves an unsettling feeling.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe plot follows FAA analyst Neil McCabe as he attempts to stop a scarred hacker from crashing a plane into a nuclear facility, fitting the overcoming_the_monster archetype with a tyrant subtype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsSurvivalFriendship · 9% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe protagonist works against his superiors to stop a terrorist plan, driven by a sense of justice and survival stakes, with a partner at his side.
StanceThe film warns about the vulnerability of computerized aviation systems and the potential for a remote hacker to cause mass casualties.

The world

Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Serge Colbert
SettingFAA office and a hijacked commercial airliner, with the villain controlling from a remote ground location
MusicThe score aims to heighten tension but is not singled out in reviews.

Content guide

Is Panic okay for kids?

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany16

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Panic have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Panic?

Cast

Rodney Rowland
as Neil
Kristanna Loken
as Josie
Alexander Enberg
as Cain
Ted Shackelford
as Captain O'Kelly
Barbara Carrera
as Bernadette
Scott Michael Campbell
as Rudy
Tucker Smallwood
as Keller
Billy 'Sly' Williams
as Ray
David Bowe
as Co-Pilot
John Bishop
as Walter

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Panic?

Movies like Panic include Emergency Declaration (2021), Derailed (2002) and Patriot Games (1992). Of the 6 closest matches, two are stories about psychopaths, and most are films about law enforcement.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

4 of these 6 share its subject: justice. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Panic?

545 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: disaster survival. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.