Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- claustrophobic
- foreboding
- late night thriller viewing
- new year's eve movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a conventional, mostly routine home-invasion thriller, with some acknowledging its terse crime-movie atmosphere and Michael Keaton's reactive performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sara is trapped inside her New York high-rise penthouse as Hollander and his partner dismantle the space searching for diamonds.
Sara's permanent blindness shapes how she detects, evades, and confronts the intruders.
The stolen fortune in diamonds motivates the criminals' hostage-taking, torture, and destruction of the apartment.
New Year's Eve celebrations continue outside while Sara faces a violent siege alone indoors.
Films like Penthouse North, and why
Panic Room
shared home-invasion thriller structure, hostage peril, and resourceful protagonist
Wait Until Dark
shared blind protagonist, domestic confinement, and escalating survival suspense
Don't Breathe
shared contained cat-and-mouse thriller, criminal intrusion, and high-stakes apartment setting
Movie Details
- Director
- Joseph Ruben
- Release Date
- 2013-04-17
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (199)
Cast
- Michelle Monaghan
- Michael Keaton
- Barry Sloane
- Andrew W. Walker
- Kaniehtiio Horn
- Trevor Hayes
- Phillip Jarrett
- Timothy Paul Coderre
- Olivier Surprenant
- Jasmine Chan
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Penthouse North about?
- A blind former war photographer must outwit sadistic diamond hunters who invade her New York penthouse on New Year's Eve.
- What is Penthouse North like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Penthouse North as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Penthouse North violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Penthouse North as brutal.
- What did critics think of Penthouse North?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a conventional, mostly routine home-invasion thriller, with some acknowledging its terse crime-movie atmosphere and Michael Keaton's reactive performance.
- Which films are like Penthouse North?
- Films with a similar feel include Panic Room, Wait Until Dark, and Don't Breathe.
- How long is Penthouse North?
- Penthouse North runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch Penthouse North?
- In United States, Penthouse North streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
