p2

U.S. Release Date: 11/9/07
Running Time: 1:38
Rated: R (Violence, profanity)

Cast: Rachel Nichols, Wes Bentley

Director: Franck Khalfoun

Producer: Alix Taylor
Screenplay: Gregory Levasseur & Alexandre Aja and Franck Khalfoun
Music: tomandandy
Studio: Summit Entertainment

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer get lost in a parking garage? You know: the one where the foursome can’t find their car; so, they end up gallivanting around the garage? Well, P2 is similar in scenery and close in concept.

Aside from P2 being a thriller that features a psychopath (not a comedy with one character carrying around an air-conditioner), the film is quick to stumble from solid storytelling to wandering characters encountering obstacle after obstacle to occupy screen time. Regrettably, as the obstacles escalate in grandeur, the tension somehow subsides—resulting in a generic climax.

If you’ve seen the trailer, you know the premise. A hard-working businesswoman, Angela (Rachael Nichols), is the last to leave the office on Christmas Eve. When her car doesn’t start, she is left stranded inside a locked parking garage with a psychopathic attendant named Thomas (Wes Bentley).

Director Franck Khalfoun’s thriller takes place in the perfect facility—it’s dark, dank, empty, and underground. Where echoes of footsteps, keyless entries, and slammed car doors characteristically belong, the sounds of cries, screams, and running steps are a fitting contrast.

To further enhance the setting, P2 leans on Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” and Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” to send shivers down your spine. These two holiday numbers do well in augmenting the chilling Christmas atmosphere. What’s more, when Thomas informs two other unwelcomed players, “Way to ruin Christmas,” the screenwriters comically counter the typical mindset—as if Thomas isn’t the one doing the ruining. In both music and script, P2 certainly has its pluses.

On the other hand, P2 is intense in a recognizable Red Eye/Panic Room sort of fashion. The intensity loses its luster when the picture becomes an extended chase scene. During this time period, P2 relies on a scary dog, a bent fingernail, and an obligatory eye scene for the majority of its chills. Had the feature not banked on these simpleton snippets and involved a villain with a more potent motive, the outcome might have been a bit stronger.

While Wes Bentley excels at his villainous portrayal of a socially-inept psycho, his character is difficult to understand. What possesses Thomas? Perhaps it is his removal from reality and solitude, or maybe just his longing for love. Either reasoning doesn’t justify Thomas’ thinking or actions. Simply put, his character plays out no differently than Michael Myers; viewers can’t humanize Thomas or grasp his intentions. Thomas might as well have worn a mask and made P2 a horror (as opposed to thriller). The transition would have been straightforward—especially considering Thomas already had the art of walking (not running) after his prey down.

For the most part, P2 solely exhibits a mass of gray walls with painted “P”s and numbers on them and only a few good tense moments. While it may be innocent thrilling fun, a mildly satisfying game of cat-and-mouse in a concrete jungle isn’t good enough to standout in a genre of much of the same. P2 is a creative concept executed well enough to skim by as a par thriller.