panic never got good theatrical release easily seen much smart audiences would probably difficult time it comparing american beauty probing midlife crisis sopranos analyze study illegal goingson amidst family life though panic may seem derive unoriginal material brommels lifelike characters coupled deft dialogue observant direction make film realistic look undoing middle aged manbr br william h macy stars alex hitman works fathers sutherland contractkilling business leads double life wife ullman son unaware real trade middleage becomes increasingly disgusted done life calm collected facade stirs repressed resentment fathers controlling grasp life meets young womancampbell feels invigored decides time quit family businessbr br the fact writerdirector henry brommel decided make profession main character trying break away contractkilling disposable could easily substituted undesirable profession characters welldeveloped believable scenes handled smoothly realisticly dialogue written insightfully naturally focus falls macys conflicted character rather job hitman brommels script feels like shakespearean tragedy definite theme destiny running throughoutbr br in alex macy creates tragic easily sympathetic character turns yet another brooding great performance always expected donald sutherland also effectively abrasive abusive overbearing father ullmans dramatic turn macys wife welcome change comedian consider scene bicycle shop mood subtly darkens peaks affecting scene emotional confusionbr br henry brommels first feature panic film wellcrafted sincerity firstrate cast plausible script terse dialogue nice direction characterstudy hopefully taste brommels aptness creating characters seem real br br  