Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4745 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-09-10
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Synopsis
Claustrophobic and brightly coloured, this tightly wound psychological thriller is constantly pulling the rug out from under the viewer, mostly due to the tense, explosive performances of its two main characters. The tale opens with a coffee shop rendezvous between 14-year-old Haley (the fantastic Ellen Page) and 32-year-old fashion photographer Jeff (Patrick Wilson), who have previously met only online in a chat room. Despite his questionable enthusiasm at meeting a girl half his age, Jeff comes off as slightly awkward and shy; rather, it’s Haley who is unnervingly forthright in her flirtation. She suggests that they go back to his place, he complies, and, once there, Haley seductively convinces him to take pictures of her. She exhibits a beguiling mixture of innocence and precocious sexuality, but before anything happens between them, Jeff passes out under the influence of the drugs she's slipped him. When he wakes up, Haley drops her innocent demeanor and begins to undertake a meticulously planned game of retribution against her captive pedophile. She hacks into his computer and ransacks his house while he watches helplessly, and she ultimately raises the ante with a surgical procedure sure to make audiences squirm. The exact nature of Jeff's guilt remains nebulous, however, creating an intriguing uncertainty surrounding Haley's own mental state, and just how psychotic she might be. Expectations are continuously thwarted as the two characters--neither of whom is terribly sympathetic--enact a psychological and physical game of cat and mouse that is as fascinating to watch as a train wreck.

Customer Reviews

Awful!
After being told what an 'amazing film' this was, i decided i should buy it. I totally regret this decision.
The first couple of minutes or so, actually seem fairly promising, but don't be fooled! Once the guy wakes up from being drugged, the film quickly gets worse and worse.
How anyone can rate this 5 stars, i haven't a clue. All i can say is i'm glad i only spent £5 on this. And even that was a waste.

Spectacular
Hard Candy is an amazing film. There are only 5 characters in the entire movie but that adds to the greatness of it. Ellen Page as Hayley Stark is brilliant and Patrick Wilson as Jeff also gives a great performance. There is no gore in Hard Candy despite its 18 certificate but the power of suggestion makes you believe there is gallons of blood and guts. The ending is original and the film is fantastic, I can't think of a better horror-thriller than this.

Could have been better
This film has an interesting concept - young girl turns the tables on predator - but it never seemed to take this concept anywhere meaningful.

In a sense, you can feel for both of the characters (yes, there are only two in most of the entire film), but they're never fully developed so in the end you're left without really knowing them, or caring about their fate much either. The girl is full of moral justice, the man is full of fear, and that's about it.

The film plays as a long, drawn out hostage situation, and after the initial interest, it gets boring fast. He escapes, she catches him, he escapes again, she catches him again, etc. etc. There are a few wince-inducing set pieces, but they're nothing special.

I left the cinema feeling disappointed at this wasted opportunity. If the drama had been a little more realistic, it may have been better, but as such you'll have trouble believing that any grown man could be so inept, and any small girl to strong and ruthless.