#11 - hard candy

Hard Candy (2005)

Director:  David Slade

Actors:  Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page

Let me preface my review by saying that I am no Roger Ebert or Peter Travers.  I am not claiming to be a connoisseur of horror movies, nor am I suggesting that I am worthy of rating films for a renowned publication.   I’m simply a person who loves movies and who likes to write about “stuff”.  If you are not interested in scary movies or if you don’t like reading… then delete this immediately.

The movie is Hard Candy.  It’s like Dateline: to Catch a Predator meets Audition.  The “woman” is out for vengeance, but there’s no “sweet tea” or Chris Hansen to break up the exploitation.  We’re not quite sure who is telling the truth, or even what the truth is.  It so effectively blurs the line between “hero” and “villain” that you will be talking about this movie for hours afterward, possibly days.

Hayley Stark (Ellen Page) is merely 14, yet has the awareness and aptitude of a woman twice her age.  She has been chatting online with the much older, 32 year-old photographer Jeff Kohlver (Patrick Wilson) for a few weeks, and has finally agreed to meet him for the first time at a coffee house.  They have a brief rendezvous before continuing to Jeff’s home.  It’s all fun and games at first, with Hayley mixing the drinks and Jeff showing off his modern bachelor pad.  Things quickly turn for the worse, however, when Jeff is drugged and wakes up in a very compromising position…

The rest of the movie follows the two actors through a cat and mouse escapade of psychological warfare.  Hayley relentlessly plays mind (and torture) games with Jeff… accusing him of pedophilia, rape, and murder.  He begs for mercy on several occasions, but Hayley is out for revenge and compassion isn’t on her agenda.  The movie is disturbing on so many levels.  Most notably because the girl is only 14 (although Page was 17 when the film was shot) and because the “predator” is so charming, yet undeniably creepy at the same time.

I don’t want to spoil the movie for those who haven’t seen it, so I won’t give too many details.  Let’s just say that it definitely deserves its “R” rating.  Hard Candy contains zero nudity and only a few instances of graphic language, but the subject matter will be tough to swallow for certain audiences.  This film is not appropriate for teenagers or even some young adults.

I first saw Hard Candy when it was a new release on the Blockbuster shelves, sometime in 2006.  I will admit that at the time I didn’t really care for it.  Maybe I was too young to fully appreciate the “art” of the film or the strong performances by Wilson and Page.  Or maybe having kids - in 2008 & 2009 - just gave me a new dread for certain topics, which ultimately forces me to pay closer attention.  Whatever the case, I did enjoy Hard Candy the second time around.  I hate to use the term “enjoy” with such a controversial subject… so, I’ll rephrase that by saying that I really “respect” the film. 

The acting is brilliant, specifically Page (although Wilson undoubtedly holds his own too).  Her performance was Oscar-worthy and should have at least earned her a nomination.  I loved her and hated her at the same time.  (Who would have thought that Juno was such a BA?)  The film garnered some indie acknowledgments, but was ultimately snubbed by the Academy.  David Slade also deserves recognition, as this was his directorial debut in a feature film (he worked mostly with music videos before this point).  Slade later went on to direct this summer’s blockbuster, Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Hard Candy is very effective and will surely be polarizing to its viewers.  It’s worth seeing if you can appreciate the acting, directing, and screenplay and not dwell on the uncomfortable premise.  The movie is hard to sit through, but is razor sharp in more ways than one.

Was Hard Candy scary?  No.  Disturbing… yes.

Jami’s Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Would I recommend this movie:  Maybe