P2 (2007) - Great acting in a fast paced thrill - 8/10 (28/12/11)

P2 is a surprisingly enjoyable suspense flick that convinces with an intense atmosphere and a very good acting by the strange and intriguing main villain played by Wes Bentley and the refreshing and pretty smart female victim portrayed by Rachel Niochols. I didn't know these actors before but they did a brilliant job and they needed to convince as the entire story turns around their particular relationship. The location always remains the same as in a classic theatre play and this adds a lot of atmosphere to this movie. The work of light and shadows is also very well done in this movie. The camera work is also interesting and varies a lot to capture the different states of the two main characters.

The story itself is quite predictable and maybe the only obvious weak point of the movie. A lonesome security guy kidnaps a female workaholic and single during the night before Christmas to spend some time with her. The villain is though not what you might expect. He's got some feelings for the woman but he doesn't want to rape her. He just wants her to be friends with her or to possess her in a certain way. He goes very far to realize his weird dream. As the situation gets more and more complicated, the tension arises and the clever victim begins to fool a more and more nervous, brutal and unpredictable main villain which leads to an intense finish.

The movie is short and sweet and after a short period of introduction to the characters, there is not a single minute of boredom in this fast paced thriller. This is a different and refreshing kind of Christmas movie written by the promising horror expert Alexandre Aja and filmed by his young partner in crime Franck Khalfoun that I might look forward to watch again next year around the same time of the year.