Hard Candy

Title : Hard Candy

Director : David Slade

Cast : Patrick Wilson (Jeff), Ellen Page (Heyley), Sandra Oh (neighbor)

Genre : Thriller, Drama

Special notes : A strong sensation of vertigo may occur during this movie

            It’s a little odd how a 14 year old girl can be a pedophile’s worst nightmare. In a over the edge thriller we find out how is that possible and more as the director twists the set and our minds with it.

            All starts with one idle conversation on the internet between two people unknown to us; yet they turn out to be the main characters. It is obvious from the beginning that Jeff is a pedophile so we are mislead to believe that Hayley is his next victim; but we couldn’t be more wrong because she holds the upper hand by tricking him into imprisonment.

            Hard as it might be to imagine this, these are the only important characters throughout the movie. One might think of a resemblance between this movie and Hitchcock’s “Rope”. Even if there are only two main and three supporting characters, this thing only strengthens the whole movie as it emphasizes on the story and not on the cast. Ellen Page, a doppelganger of emotions, teams up with a motivated Patrick Wilson reenacting “the hunter becomes the hunted” play.

            Trapped inside his own home, Jeff is numb as he sees how Hayley changes from a innocent young lady into his nemesis. Frankly, I was also shocked by this, as I didn’t expect such a strong shading of good, especially not in this manner. At one point the viewer is estranged because  he can’t separate the good from the evil, one turning into another in the same way as Heyley’s shift. It is clear that she is enjoying this and doesn’t go out of her way to hide this, so we may even feel sorry for Jeff when he is tortured over and over again.

            Even though Hitchcock’s influence is clear, the director still has other aces up his sleeve such as his music videos experience, ultimately resulting a exciting thriller.

            A great movie, with extraordinary actors that keeps you right on the edge of your feelings as you sit and wait for the end that doesn’t seem to come. 

“ You know, maybe it’s the whole camera thing. Camera, computers… they let you hide, don’t they? So safe … “

We were expecting you…