2005’s Hard Candy turned out to be a breakout movie for debut feature film director David Slade (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Patrick Wilson (Little Children, Lakeview Terrace), and Ellen Page (Juno,  Inception). This was a highly controversial film at the time of its release and did not garner a lot of money at the box office. It is about a 32-year-old sexual predator named Jeff (Wilson) who begins an online relationship with 14-year-old Hayley (Page) that leads to a physical encounter.

The first thirty minutes of this film are incredibly uncomfortable to watch as Hayley and Jeff flirt with each other. It always feels awkward watching two people flirt with each other if they are of very different ages. The bigger the age gap, the grosser it becomes. Where is that dividing line where flirting changes from charming to plain strange? Five years difference? Ten years? It probably depends on the age of the two parties involved. Almost everyone would agree that flirting between a 14-year-old and a 32-year-old is sick to the stomach. That makes the first third of this movie such a disturbing watch. But to dismiss a situation like this as an anomaly that could never occur in our cities and neighborhoods would be ignorant. This is very much an issue affecting today’s youth as they enter chat rooms and talk with people they would never associate with if they had met them on the street.

Hayley sets up the initial meeting with Jeff. Jeff impresses Hayley by buying her whatever type of chocolate that she wants at the little pastry shop where they meet. Soon, he purchases the clothes she is trying on for him. Jeff pours on the charm like a thick molasses. Hayley soaks up every drop of it. Before too long, they are back at his house, where Hayley sees pictures of the underage models he photographs on his home’s walls. Soon, they are drinking screwdrivers and discussing their sexual fantasies.

But then the movie takes a turn, and to discuss it here would be to give it away. However, if you have heard of this movie before reading this review, you probably know what revolves during the last hour. Regardless of whether you do, what happens in the second part is just as disturbing as in the first.

This movie plays out almost entirely as a two-person stage act. The dialog and its actors’ commitment to their characters drive this movie. It is no coincidence that Wilson’s, and particularly Page’s, careers have taken off since this film. I saw this movie on video for the first time in 2006, long before I had heard of either actor. I remember thinking, what a creep Jeff was in this movie. I watched it again in 2011 and discovered that Hayley was Ellen Page at the movie’s ending credits. Ironically, halfway through my second viewing of the film, I said, “This kid did a pretty good job as Hayley. I wonder what she has done since.” Now, she has become one of America’s most sought-after young actresses.

Plot 7/10
Character Development 7/10
Character Chemistry 8.5/10
Acting 8.5/10
Screenplay 7/10
Directing 7/10
Cinematography 7.5/10
Sound 5/10
Hook and Reel 5/10
Universal Relevance 9.5/10
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