P2 Leads Us On an Adventure Into Secret Fears
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P2 tackles the "worst case imaginings" while alone in a high rise office building garage. Horror Queen Says: Bloody Thumbs Up!
Written by BHM Contributor Horror Queen
November 17, 2007
Release:
November 9, 2007 (U.S.)
Directed by: Franck Khalfoun
Written by: Franck Khalfoun, Alexandre Aja,
Grégory Levasseur
Starring:
Wes Bentley as Thomas
Rachel Nichols as Angela Bridges
This film is quite unique – the usual suspense
mixed with graphic violence, but in a setting horror hasn’t
really tapped into yet. For those of you who work in high rise office
buildings, you know how eerie they can be at night. Multiply that fear
times ten and you have P2. The story is excellent,
as are the performances. And let’s just say I will never be
able to hear the song “Santa Baby” without thinking
of this horror film which sort of puts an odd twist on the holidays.
It’s Christmas Eve in Manhattan and everyone is bustling
to
get out of their offices and home to their families, including our
young workaholic heroin Angela, hurriedly making
her way down to Level “P2” of the parking structure
to go to her sister’s for dinner. Or so she
thinks…
After finding her car won’t start, Angela happens upon Thomas the parking guard who offers her a jump (not literally – yet). Thomas is definitely an odd duck, offering to make Angela dinner in his office when the jumper cables fail and then saying “just kidding” when she gives him a funny look. Sensing he’s a bit of a whack job, Angela politely dismisses him to wait in the lobby for a cab. The night security guard is missing from his post when the cab arrives Angela is locked inside the building alone. This would actually never happen because of fire/life safety law – one has to be able to get out of a building lobby without keys (Horror Queen was once a high rise building manager – so this will be like doctor reviewing an episode of Scrubs). At any rate, Angela has no choice but to head back down to the parking garage and try to get out that way. No such luck. Big locked iron gates. What’s a girl to do…but fall and hit her head with no one there to help. No one except…
Thomas is the first person she sees after waking up,
that is waking up
wearing a slutty
dress, dark red lipstick and chained to a table in the parking office
with a growling Rottweiler (apparently Christmas Eve is also
“bring your dog to work day”). Now the fun begins,
and surprise, Thomas actually did make her dinner and has chosen Angela
as his date. His mood changes when she feigns having a boyfriend. Hint:
don’t piss off weird building personnel that have the power
to trap you in a locked, dark parking garage overnight.
At this point Thomas really let’s his “guard” down and makes Angela watch a horrific act of violence involving a married co-worker that hit on her that week. I guess you could say Thomas is sort of a vigilante gone awry.
Both characters in the film are talented and believable.
Angela is
scared yet strong and resourceful. Thomas is shy and nerdy at times
(and apparently a huge Elvis fan), yet he’s easily angered
and prone to fits of rage and violence. These two would probably not
have 
worked
out as a couple. Plus Thomas, a grown man, really takes no
responsibility for his actions. As Angela ransacks her way around the
building trying to get out he says to her “you’re
trying to get me fired aren’t you?” As if murdering
people and hiding them in building storage areas wouldn’t do
the trick. Oh and this is great - as he’s killing people he
says to them “way to ruin Christmas”.
P2 should one day take its rightful place as a classic horror film, despite its real estate-related weaknesses. Hint: if you’re ever trapped in a high rise building or its parking structure, simply pull any alarm and emergency personnel will respond immediately. Regardless…
Horror Queen Says: Bloody Thumbs Up!
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