Review: 2:22

A businessman reading a newspaper. A pregnant woman standing under a clock. Two women laughing. A door slamming. A drop of water. These may seem random and unconnected but for Dylan Branson, they are all signs of a potentially dangerous and fatal event to come in Paul Currie's thriller, 2:22.

Not to be confused with the 2008 crime thriller of the same name, 2:22 stars Michiel Huisman as Dylan, an air traffic controller who sees patterns in the everyday, one day almost to the point of distraction when he almost has two planes collide with one another. Suspended for a month, he encounters Sarah (Teresa Palmer) at an aerial ballet. The two are instantly attracted to one another and discover that they share many connections - not only do they have the same birthday but she was one of the passengers on one of the planes that nearly crashed. More coincidences abound, significantly one involving a double murder that occurred in Grand Central Station on the day both of them were born. Could the signs that Dylan keeps seeing mean that history is about to repeat itself, or can Dylan solve the mystery of 2:22 in time to save himself and Sarah?

2:22 is replete with coincidences, perhaps none more ridiculous than the hologram light art exhibit that happens to have the very same images that Dylan has been seeing. To be fair, this is actually not as bad as it may seem especially since the entirety of the film is constructed to function solely under its particular everything-is-connected narrative. Director Paul Currie presents everything in a slick manner and seems to have a wry sensibility when it comes to the aspects of Nathan Parker and Todd Stein's screenplay where it takes itself a bit more seriously than it should.

Huisman makes for an appropriately dashing lead, ably carrying the film with his charisma even if he doesn't fully convince in scenes where Dylan's belief in patterns may be more a state of paranoia. Palmer is lovely as always and, as always, is called upon to do far less than what she is capable.

2:22

Directed by: Paul Currie

Written by: Nathan Parker, Todd Stein

Starring: Michiel Huisman, Teresa Palmer, Sam Reid, Maeve Dermody, Remy Hii, Simone Kessell, Kerry Armstrong