Disturbing Film Review: Hard Candy

Pedophilia: just the word itself causes the hair on most people's arms to rise. That is the very uncomfortable subject dealt with so powerfully in Hard Candy.

On PopCrunch.com: The 15 Most Disturbing Movies Ever Made, the author comments that Hard Candy "could have been performed as a play without losing much of it's [sic] power." This is absolutely true; once you're familiar with the story, you may understand why.

Hard Candy concerns a brilliant 14-year-old girl named Hayley Stark (Ellen Page), who in the beginning of the film is chatting with an older man over the Internet. Simply from viewing the chat room dialogue, it's obvious that this is more than just innocent conversation. Clearly, there is sexual tension brewing, and while it doesn't seem that the younger participant is unwilling, it still keeps the audience on edge.

Soon after, the two meet in a coffee shop, and for the first time, we see the man Hayley's been chatting with, a thirty-something photographer named Jeff Kohlver (Patrick Wilson). Their first in-person encounter reveals some more about the kind of person Hayley is: a prodigious and well-educated young girl, seemingly wise beyond her years.

As a result of their apparent chemistry in the café, Hayley agrees to accompany Jeff back to his home. Under most circumstances, the audience might be saying, "No! No!" This might be the case here, but these are not "most circumstances." Suffice it to say that Jeff has no idea what's in store when he attempts to go farther with Hayley than she intends.

Why See This Film?

While rape (and in particular, child molestation of any kind) tend to repulse most audience members, they are important subjects to talk about, and Hard Candy does so with extreme force.

Even more impressive is the fact that the film contains few special effects; is incredibly well-acted; and even manages to toy with the idea of who's a "heroine" and who's a "villain."

PopCrunch clearly included this title on their list of "disturbing films" for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it involves pedophilia, rape, and torture.

More importantly, however, Hard Candy is also somewhat of a character study, both of Hayley and Jeff. In the beginning, Jeff is certainly portrayed as a monster: a child molester, as well as an Internet stalker, albeit a charming one. Conversely, halfway through the film, Hayley turns the tables, and in a sense, becomes almost more horrific than Jeff. Yet, we the audience may cheer her actions, because of what we know about Jeff's character.

It is difficult to go into specifics without giving away too much of the story. For lack of better words, "what goes around comes around."

As for why Hard Candy might also do well on the stage:

1. Its themes and characters make for powerful storytelling in and of themselves, and do not rely on pyrotechnics and such.

2. There is somewhat of a universality to the story, making it easily transferable to different media.

As with any number of disturbing films, Hard Candy isn't exactly "feel-good movie of the year." That, of course, is part of what has earned it such recognition.

Some have questioned: what is the film's message? There is, unfortunately, no simple answer to that, as this seems more than a straightforward revenge flick.

For example: when Hayley has the opportunity to strike back at Jeff, and takes it, is she now a villain? Are we to applaud her behavior?

Additionally, should we feel any sympathy for Jeff? You could certainly argue that any punishment he receives is his comeuppance. Then again, is it taken too far? These questions can only be answered by you, the viewer.

So there you have Hard Candy: a disturbing, but very well-made, well-acted, and well-thought-out production that doesn't give us all the easy answers.

If you feel you have the stomach for its subject matter (and some of its most violent scenes), add it to your Netflix queue.