Genres: Horror, Thriller
Rated: R
Country: USA
Year: 2007
Runtime: 98 minutes
Studio: Sumit
Entertainment
IMDB Page
Rated: R
Country: USA
Year: 2007
Runtime: 98 minutes
Studio: Sumit
Entertainment
IMDB Page
Review done by: Serial McKiller
Online since: February 20th, 2006
Hosted by: Yahoo!
Starring: Wes Bentley, Rachel Nichols, Simon Reynolds, Grace Lynn Kung
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Synopsis: A corporate climber gets stuck working late on Christmas Eve
and finds herself the target of an unhinged security guard. With no help
in sight, the woman must overcome physical and psychological challenges
to survive.
Review:
It's not often that a lot of really, really low budget horror films make it to
the big screen. Sure you'll get some from independent sister companies
like Rogue Pictures or Fox Atomic, but it seems like it's been a while since
we got an honest to god no name company, with nothing to gain, a cast
of young and upcoming stars that deliver. And out of complete nowhere
enters Sumit Entertainment's "P2", probably the most surprisingly fun
and entertaining thriller I've seen in a while. We have the young, pretty
business woman Angela who's working on Christmas eve and struggling
to get everything together and get to her family in perfect time. She's
one of the last to leave the building for the night and of course...has car
problems. So she goes to see the nearby security guard, Thomas.
Thomas as you can figure is not the best person in the world, though he
is nice. After a few botched attempts to get out for the night, Thomas
eventually drugs her and then we start getting some of the picture.
First off, "P2" taps into some basic, classic, but still ever present fears.
The fear of being alone, the fear of being alone in the dark, the fear of
having someone who's there to protect you turn out to be the thing you
need protecting from and a few others. While Angela's knocked out,
Thomas puts her in a new white dress and applies lipstick and make-up,
then props her up to a table to have Christmas eve dinner with him. All
because he likes her. What I love about a good bit of the film is that it's
a thriller, not a horror picture. But like a pro it just takes one intense and
gruesome moment to make that left turn into it and when it comes it's
impressive. "P2" feels like an 80's thriller/horror. We have a lot of
elements from 70's horror. Visa-vi trapped in one place, very few people,
a lot of meandering moments where it's attempting to draw you off
guard and a few times it does... BUT as pair with 80's horror everything
is heightened just a bit.
The villain isn't a faceless boogeyman nor is he extremely menacing. But
he's sick...mentally sick, but without becoming Jigsaw or Hannibal Lecter.
Just an everyday guy that's wacko! Wes Bentley is over the top, often
fun within his rage, but at times also demented and even sorrow felt.
Rachel Nichols plays Angela like an A-typical person. Not quite as a super
woman, but as someone running and trying her best to escape and
using her brain to do so. Also like 80's horror your heroin is sexy
without needing nudity, she's strong without being butch or being
particularly strong and they actually manage to put together a lot of
terrific and sometimes tense action sequences all within a parking garage.
The biggest surprise to me however was the skill of director Franck
Khalfoun and of the story from Alexandre Aja who's prior work includes
"High Tension" and "The Hills Have Eyes" remake.
Aja is a big fan of old school 70's and 80's slasher films and for the first
time since seeing something his finger's been in, I completely see and
love what he's seeing and apparently loving. "P2" is simply a good time all
around. It's a tad bit cheese-ball, but a good bit white knuckle. It's
savage in it's violence and classy in it's menacing conversations and long
shots. They squeeze in cleverly executed set ups for action and it all
works well. Nothing feels like they tried too hard, but only feels like they
set out to make a fun thriller and that they had fun making this thriller
and I think most fans of old school B-movie thrillers will have some fun
here and could even watch it with a helping of another throwback thriller
from earlier this year, 'Vacancy'.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall: 7/10
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Synopsis: A corporate climber gets stuck working late on Christmas Eve
and finds herself the target of an unhinged security guard. With no help
in sight, the woman must overcome physical and psychological challenges
to survive.
Review:
It's not often that a lot of really, really low budget horror films make it to
the big screen. Sure you'll get some from independent sister companies
like Rogue Pictures or Fox Atomic, but it seems like it's been a while since
we got an honest to god no name company, with nothing to gain, a cast
of young and upcoming stars that deliver. And out of complete nowhere
enters Sumit Entertainment's "P2", probably the most surprisingly fun
and entertaining thriller I've seen in a while. We have the young, pretty
business woman Angela who's working on Christmas eve and struggling
to get everything together and get to her family in perfect time. She's
one of the last to leave the building for the night and of course...has car
problems. So she goes to see the nearby security guard, Thomas.
Thomas as you can figure is not the best person in the world, though he
is nice. After a few botched attempts to get out for the night, Thomas
eventually drugs her and then we start getting some of the picture.
First off, "P2" taps into some basic, classic, but still ever present fears.
The fear of being alone, the fear of being alone in the dark, the fear of
having someone who's there to protect you turn out to be the thing you
need protecting from and a few others. While Angela's knocked out,
Thomas puts her in a new white dress and applies lipstick and make-up,
then props her up to a table to have Christmas eve dinner with him. All
because he likes her. What I love about a good bit of the film is that it's
a thriller, not a horror picture. But like a pro it just takes one intense and
gruesome moment to make that left turn into it and when it comes it's
impressive. "P2" feels like an 80's thriller/horror. We have a lot of
elements from 70's horror. Visa-vi trapped in one place, very few people,
a lot of meandering moments where it's attempting to draw you off
guard and a few times it does... BUT as pair with 80's horror everything
is heightened just a bit.
The villain isn't a faceless boogeyman nor is he extremely menacing. But
he's sick...mentally sick, but without becoming Jigsaw or Hannibal Lecter.
Just an everyday guy that's wacko! Wes Bentley is over the top, often
fun within his rage, but at times also demented and even sorrow felt.
Rachel Nichols plays Angela like an A-typical person. Not quite as a super
woman, but as someone running and trying her best to escape and
using her brain to do so. Also like 80's horror your heroin is sexy
without needing nudity, she's strong without being butch or being
particularly strong and they actually manage to put together a lot of
terrific and sometimes tense action sequences all within a parking garage.
The biggest surprise to me however was the skill of director Franck
Khalfoun and of the story from Alexandre Aja who's prior work includes
"High Tension" and "The Hills Have Eyes" remake.
Aja is a big fan of old school 70's and 80's slasher films and for the first
time since seeing something his finger's been in, I completely see and
love what he's seeing and apparently loving. "P2" is simply a good time all
around. It's a tad bit cheese-ball, but a good bit white knuckle. It's
savage in it's violence and classy in it's menacing conversations and long
shots. They squeeze in cleverly executed set ups for action and it all
works well. Nothing feels like they tried too hard, but only feels like they
set out to make a fun thriller and that they had fun making this thriller
and I think most fans of old school B-movie thrillers will have some fun
here and could even watch it with a helping of another throwback thriller
from earlier this year, 'Vacancy'.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall: 7/10
