Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her 11 year old daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) move into a new house. But already on the first night, three thugs break in, hoping to find a safe filled with bearer bonds left behind by the previous occupant. Meg and Sarah take shelter in the panic room he also installed and begin a confrontation with the intruders from there. For now they are safe. But not for long. And they are far from defenseless.