On Screen

P2

Starring Wes Bentley, Rachel Nichols. Written by Alexandre Aja, Gregory Levasseur, Franck Khalfoun. Directed by Franck Khalfoun. (14A) 96 min. Opens Nov 9.

By deploying an underground parkade as its sinister setting, P2 strikes another entry from the dwindling list of novel locations for movie thrillers. Enterprising screenwriters should be relieved to know that petting zoos, bus station bathrooms and the Taj Mahal are all still available for use. They also might think about having another go at parking structures because P2 fails to squeeze much out of the premise despite occasional flashes of the ruthlessness that distinguished Haute Tension, the first film by P2 writer--producers Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur.

With Toronto once again doubling as New York City – the parkade in question is underneath Village by the Grange and is actually creepier in real life – P2 is essentially a two-hander survival story that pits an office worker (Rachel Nichols) against a deranged, Elvis-loving parking attendant (Wes Bentley) after the building's closed up on Christmas Eve. Slow to start and not much swifter after the nastiness has begun, the movie is further hampered by its silly contrivances, bland heroine and hopelessly hammy villain. Bentley's two-bit nutjob act becomes progressively more irritating as he chases his prey up and down the levels, leaving viewers feeling just as desperate to escape.

JASON ANDERSON

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