I can describe this movie in one word…disturbing. I have been watching horror movies all month for Halloween and I have yet to see something that affected me like this movie did. The entire plot of Hard Candy is original and thought provoking. The concept, when brought out, was risky. The movie rests on the shoulders of two actors. Those actors, Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson, were simply amazing. I have not seen a movie so good in a very long time and if you stop reading right now, I sincerely hope it is to go watch this movie.

Hayley mentions meeting and Jeff agrees to meet her at a local coffee shop. They have been speaking on the Internet for 3 weeks and now it’s time to meet. She says her sister will drop her off and she will meet him in an hour. So far, so good, but then we are only about five minutes into the film.

At the coffee shop we see a shy, yet somewhat flirty Hayley with Jeff, a man who is obviously interested and yet attempts to restrain himself all at the same time. Jeff seems to realize that he shouldn’t be there with the 14 year old Hayley and yet he is. It makes his character shady from the beginning. Of course, to further complicate things, he is relatively attractive and seems like a nice guy. Hayley, while shy, seems like she is flirting with trouble, as many girls her age would do, so right off the bat, the movie has become interesting.

Soon after the meeting, Jeff is attempting to say goodbye and Hayley is tempting him to take her to his home. She wins and soon we are in Jeff’s home with Hayley. It does not take long for things to get out of control. While at one point, I was worried about Jeff being a pedophile I soon switch gears and started to wonder if Hayley is applying for the Future Serial Killers of America Club.

The movie becomes terrifying and I have yet to meet a man that can sit through one particular portion without thanking a deity or two that it’s not him in Jeff’s shoes. While you soon realize both parties are guilty of their own atrocities in this film, you cannot (or at least I cannot) help but sympathize with the man I once referred to as a pedophile.

Jeff is a likable character. This is one of the scariest things about him. He is charming, friendly, and seems easy to talk to about any subject. It would be easy to trust him. This, of course, makes it bad for the 14-year-old girls to whom he is attracted. Despite this, I was rooting for him a good portion of the movie. While I wouldn’t normally do this, the character and Wilson’s acting had me from Hello or something like that.

Hayley also peaked my interest but in a different way. Perhaps it was my former Criminal Justice education but from the moment I saw her in the coffee shop, Hayley had me worried. There was something about her I didn’t like. I did not want to trust her from the get go. Perhaps it was because her shy, demure attitude seemed phony, or too much like an act to be real.

I do not know if other moviegoers felt differently, but for me, I just kept asking myself what her motivation was for being there, flirting, and trying to go home with a man she has just met. I knew something was amiss. While Jeff (and most men) may not have picked it up, to me it appeared that she was trying too hard.

Hard Candy depends on psychology, mind games, and primal survival instincts to carry the story. I ran the gamut of emotions and came out feeling as if I had been attacked, as well. All signs of a very good movie. Most movies cannot manage with pure dialogue, small amounts of action, and just two people. However, Hard Candy did this job, and did it well.

There is only one scene in the movie that I deem to be supplemental enough to not be necessary, though I can see why it was added. Sandra Oh has a cameo and does a brief scene with Ellen Page’s character Hayley. The scene is not exactly important and kind of throws people off the main story, but the filmmakers deemed it important enough to keep it in the final cut.

In the scene, Oh, who plays the neighbor of Jeff, knocks on the door and Hayley, thinking it is someone else, answers the door. The scene is good because it shows us vulnerability in Hayley, though this vulnerability soon fades to show her true colors once more.

If you like psychological thrillers, mild gore, and huge mind games you will love Hard Candy. You might even think it is one of the best movies of the year. If nothing else, it will certainly give older men a reason to date in their own age range.

Bottom Line: Hard Candy was far more interesting a movie than I had originally anticipated. The acting and directing were stellar and it helps the movie to shine. If you are a fan of movies that leave you astounded and angry than you need to buy this movie. Your collection will not be complete without Hard Candy.

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