Hard Candy

Hard Candy released in 2005 is a psychological horror film about 14 year old Haley (Ellen Page), who after having sexually charged online messages with Jeff a photographer (Patrick Wilson) agrees to meet up with him at a local coffee shop, and then she agrees to go back to his home, where she ties him up and tortures him. This is a very difficult movie to watch, the subject matter is very controversial. This is not a movie for everyone, and deals with subjects of pedophilia, sexual abuse, as well as revenge and torture. This is not on the same level as a "revenge porn" like I Spit On Your Grave, but surely pretty close. The movie never shows anything that Jeff did with the girls, but it is talked about, and then the way that Haley gets revenge on him for what he is, is a psychological torture that pushes him to an extreme. I have talked to people with very differing feelings from watching this film, and have myself even gone through a range of emotions when viewing this film. Some see Jeff as a monster for preying on little girls, and feel that what he gets is justified and would do the same if they could. I have heard others say that because of the extreme of the psychological torture that they almost pitied Jeff, because of how pathetic he is. Also it begs the question of vigilante revenge, and what is acceptable. By the end of the film though you learn that there is a deeper purpose to her luring Jeff into the situation that she could tie him up and torture him. This is not an easy movie, and the story and reasoning behind it is complex, and the lines between who is a monster can get blurred. I personally feel that Jeff, would would lure a 14 year old little girl into his home, where has photographs of partially undressed underage girls on his walls, is a monster, and in the end gets what he deserves. However I also do think people who suffer from being attracted to kids really need to get psychological help and ensure that they are never put into a position that they could ever be tempted to act upon those desires. I get that it is a disorder of the brain, but like all disorders of the brain, if you suffer from it, get help because to act upon that is one of the most evil things a human could ever do to another person. So okay that aside, and I am sure that many people have different feelings about the movie and about the characters. I want to talk about the technical aspects of the film. For an independent movie filmed on a very modest budget, this is a really good looking movie. The cast has 5 characters, and only one or two additional extras, the sets are very minimal taking place briefly in a coffee shop, and then the rest of the film takes place in and around Jeff's house. The sets are all well done, and they look really done. The casting is perfect, especially with the two lead actors. The young Ellen Page shows that she has the skills to play challenging roles, and plays this one to absolute perfection. Patrick Wilson also plays the role of Jeff absolutely perfectly, he captures this pathetic aspect that almost makes the viewer pity him for the torture that he endures. Both of these characters have a complexity, and are so much more than meets the eye, and at the end, the viewer is left wondering who Haley really is, and I would almost like to see a prequel to this film to find out what happened to the other guy that was mentioned, what did she do to him? As a while this is a very well done film, especially for a low budget independent film. This film has also become a bit of a cult classic. The critics were mostly favourable in their views on this film, and right to describe it as "shocking". As far as torture movies go, I feel this is far far superior to crap like the Saw series, this film is very emotionally charged, and also terrifyingly realistic and possible, which makes since as it is based on news stories of young girls in Japan that would lead rich business men away and beat and rob them. I am honestly surprised that since the release of this film that there hasn't been an increase in torture/murder cases of pedophiles. This film brings up many moral questions, is it okay to do this to someone no matter how much of a monster they are? Is it okay to punish someone without due process? I highly encourage you to watch this film and think about how it makes you feel, maybe take a moment with your feelings after it is done. Would I recommend this film to everyone? Nope, not to everyone, there are some who the subject matter of this film may be too disturbing or real to them, and it could trigger some emotions in some people that they might not be prepared for, and maybe that is why it is such a good movie, because it isn't an easy film to watch, it does challenge the viewer, and it does make the viewer uncomfortable and squirm in their seat. This is not a comfortable film to watch, and that is part of what makes it great. If we could sit back and be comfortable with the subject matter of this film, I would honestly have to worry about us as a society. The film was also so expertly done that it goes beyond just being a gimmick, and is actually a truly great film. So though yes I recommend this film whole heartedly I do it only with a strong caution warning, don't go into this film unprepared, go into it aware of the subject matter that you will be seeing. I don't know if you can say that you enjoy this movie, but I do really really like this movie and appreciate its daring to take on such heavy subject matter.