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P2 (R, 2007)

common sense media says

Brutal, minimalist stalker bloodbath. Pass.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a gruesome thriller about sadistic captivity and male sexual obsession. Even with its tiny cast, it manages to squeeze in scenes of close-up mutilation and bloody savagery, thanks to murders of both people and a dog. The heroine is forced to wear a revealing, skin-tight dress for most of the movie; there's also some swearing (including "f--k" and "c--t") and an intense sense of peril and helplessness.

Positive messages: No characters worth admiring (viewers don't really learn much about any of them at all). Angela fights back against her tormentor in a display of what the filmmakers would probably like to say is "girl power" or "feminism," but it's never effective enough, and she ultimately takes lethal revenge rather than letting the law step in.
Violence: Graphic scenes of a man beaten and hit by a car until his entrails spill out. Another victim gets a blade in an eyeball. A fork is plunged into a shoulder. A character is set on fire. A snarling dog bites, then gets stabbed/bludgeoned to death.
Sex: The leading lady is (unwillingly) put in a revealing dress for most of the movie.
Language: Language includes use of "f--k" and "c--t" (the latter of which has severe consequences).
Consumerism: Mostly car manufacturers, soft-drink brands, and a newspaper.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Social drinking, talk of drunkenness.
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More on P2

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the realities of stalking, a crime that has gotten increasingly high-profile thanks to cases involving celebrities. Do you think a bloody thriller like this contributes to the problem? How does the media typically portray stalkers? How can you tell when an innocent crush has gone too far?

What's the story?

What's the story?
An explicit, gory "torture porn" film, complete with graphic, boundary-pushing carnage and emphasis on sadistic mutilation inflicted on helpless captives, P2 isn't the worst of the lot -- but the fact that are are worse movies of this type is a sad commentary. In a Manhattan high-rise office building on Christmas Eve, pretty blond secretary Angela (Rachel Nichols) is last to leave for the holiday. When she gets to her car on parking-garage level P2, it won't start. All the building doors are locked, the garage gates are down, and the only other person visible in the vast underground complex is a boyish night watchman named Tom (Wes Bentley), accompanied by his vicious dog. Tom insists that Angela join him for a private Christmas dinner he's prepared. When she refuses, he knocks her out; she wakes up dressed in a skimpy outfit and chained to a table in his office. Yes, Tom is an obsessed loner who has been watching Angela for some time on the security cameras. He's trapped her in an insane bid to win her affections. The "twist" is that lovestruck, deluded sociopath Tom keeps claiming that he doesn't really want to hurt Angela, that he has more respect for her than anyone else. Killing her isn't part of his game plan, so he saves the worst of his psycho savagery for some side victims. But the leading lady gets bloodied and brutalized all the same (and, even on a freezing-cold winter night, never does make a priority of covering her bountiful cleavage).

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Some fans claim that movies like this are "feminist" because the frightened heroine eventually gathers her nerve together and fights back, like in Aliens and Halloween . Here Angela tries various gambits to escape, ranging from violence to using her wits and summoning help. But she's never quite smart enough to do anything that will end her ordeal (and ours) early, and the movie is pretty predictable for the most part, as it plays out to an inevitable, over-the-top action showdown.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Cast: Rachel Nichols, Simon Reynolds, Wes Bentley
Genre: Thriller
Run time: 90 minutes
Theatrical release: November 8, 2007
DVD release: April 7, 2008
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong violence/gore, terror and language.
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This review was written by Charles Cassady Jr.
 
 

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What parents & educators say

14

Most useful reviews by all members

razzle dazzle
teen, 15 years old
14
 
Pretty good, fun-to-watch movie, but rated R for a reason
This movie is not as much of a spine-chiller as it is a bloodbath, but it is still a lot of fun. The movie includes an over-the-top example of sex-obsessed male stalking, impressive yet sickening graphics, and a hefty amount of bad words, including "f--k" and "c--t". P2 is a very fun movie to watch with friends, and the real spine-chilling parts are when you don't know where the stalker-man is, or how the woman will get out of the predicament she may be in. I watched this with six of my friends at a sleepover, and we all had a really great time. Before your child watches this movie, be sure that you are OK with some heavy-duty language and some graphics that could be disturbing to some younger teens.
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SamaraMorgan
teen, 14 years old
9
 
Lovely.
This is a lovely movie. Me and my sister love it
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misher727
kid, 12 years old
11
 
OMG!
Very violent, I saw it when i was eleven and it was terrifying!
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reekster
adult
 
greaaat
it wasnt bad at all allalalalala
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Stanley
teen, 16 years old
 
The P in P2 actually stands for Parental Supervision...
For all the parents reading this, heed my advice CAREFULLY: know your kids before taking them to this movie. This stalker horror has no nudity, but the gore in this film may be too over-the-top for some kids to handle. One scene shows a man getting beaten, then run over several times until his blood spills all over the place in bloody/gory detail; a grown adult in the theater I went to ran out of the place after the scene played. In another scene, a guard dog is stabbed to death with a metal pole, but the lighting is so bad, you barely see anything. There are also less graphic scenes of stabbing (shoulders and eyes). That's as far as the film goes, but let me just say that if you can take all of this, you may be pleasantly surprised to find this film actually has decent acting, not to mention it totally pulls off the eerie feel/background many horror films fail to produce. So everyone, I will end on the note I started with; know your kids, but if they're OK with it, then go see this. PS kudos to Wes Bentley, who gets creepier in every movie I see him in. Great acting job!
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Sanjay407
kid, 13 years old
14
 
Read
Rated R: Strong Graphic Violence, Language, and Drug Use
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arthur16morgana
teen, 16 years old
14
 
i thought it was kinda funny,i was making fun of the guy the whole time.
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thebob264700
adult
14
 
Waste of money
this movie really sucked, it seemed like nothing more than a blonde being chased around a garage and tormented. saw it with 5 teenagers not a one of us jumped at any point. if you want to be scared go see "The Descent" that will really give you a thrill
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jane6969
adult
 
great movie
It is a good MOVIE, done very well. Agian, this is a movie, that is it.
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MikaylaaMadisonn
teen, 16 years old
 
I thought this movie was really good! It was suspenceful, and it always kept you wandering if angela was going to get away! This movie is pretty gory, especially when one guy gets smashed agenst a wall with a car and his inteatants and ribs fall out. Overall i thing this movie is good, and is appropriate for very mature teens.
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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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