Niña mala

When the film begins, a pedophile is chatting with a very young looking girl, Hayley (Ellen Page). Soon, she agrees to meet him at a coffee house and the guy is super-creepy as he pretends to care about the girl and her interests. Soon, he's convinced her to come home with him and you can only assume he's going to molest Hayley. However, Jeff (Patrick Wilson) soon learns that while he thinks he's in control and will be raping the girl, he's soon drugged, trussed up and being physically and emotionally tormented by Hayley. Surprisingly, this makes up at least 80% of the film...80% where this older than her years girl torments Jeff and makes him wish he was dead, as death would be easier than dealing with Hayley and her 'games'.

This is a super difficult film to watch and I strongly advise you to think twice before you watch it because of the subject matter. If you've been a victim of sexual abuse, I could easily see the film's content bringing up horrible flashbacks...same with anyone who has been tortured. It cannot help but push the viewer's buttons. Additionally, many who haven't been through this might also want to beg off watching this one...it IS intense and often hard to watch. It is NOT a film for the squeamish. However, despite these warnings, the film is able to balance physical violence...not showing too much and often leaving the worst of it to your imagination.

My only reservations about the film, other than the violence, is that I would have loved to know more about Hayley--especially since she doesn't talk or act like the 14 year-old she's supposed to be in the film. She's more like a 20-something with her clever puns and verbal dexterity. Plus, WHAT IS HER MOTIVATION? While none of this ruins the film in any way, it does leave you wondering.

For the right audience, this film is exquisitely made and worth seeing. Also, I was surprised with the film as there was a line about Roman Polanski. While he IS a convicted child rapist, so often Hollywood has somehow excused this...but "Hard Candy" certainly doesn't!

This sure is some thriller.Darn those MTV filmmakers,when they really use their heads they show some of their true visual talents.Like the debut made by Mark Romanek in One Hour Photo, David Slade really excels as a director who keeps things extremely intense and gripping with a touch of shocking elements and pure disturbance due to its story.

A film about a pedophile who invites a 14 year old girl into his house only to lead a disturbing game of cat and mouse with shocking consequences and shocking twists.

Along with the superb debut and impressive writing ,it is actually the young Ellen Page who carries the film.You won't find her not mentioned in any review to this film.Hers is a performance worth mentioning,because she takes a huge shift towards her character. Wilson,on the other hand does an adequate job.

A surprisingly effective thriller and of course disturbing in the most shocking sense of way.This is sure one psychological thriller you ought to check out.

I was lucky enough to be in one of the first test audiences for this film in Los Angeles. Knowing nothing about the film except that it's being described as suspense/horror, and stars Patrick Wilson and a 14 year old girl, I went in expecting another bad to mediocre slash film. I couldn't have been more wrong!

Hard Candy is an intense psychological drama, with incredible performances by both Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson. The two actors are practically the only two people with lines in the film, aside from some brief appearances by Sandra Oh and Jennifer Holmes. Thusfar I have only seen Wilson in The Alamo and Phantom of the Opera, but I was blown away with how he handled this performance. The slow, suspenseful film is set mainly in the Los Angeles home of photographer Jeff, a 32 year old man whom Hayley, a mature 14 year old girl who met him online, suspects to be a pedophile. The pacing was steady, and phenomenal - after a brief exposition we get into the real suspense about 20 minutes into the film, and it doesn't let up from there. The cinematography and camera work went excellently with the film. Rather than being extremely gory, the adult themes of the film lead to a more psychological creepiness. There are also questions that remain unanswered until the end of the film, when everything is wrapped up nicely - leaving you puzzled to the true identities and motives of the characters throughout most of the duration.

Horror films are not my cup of tea, but psychological drama is. An early fall release date has been rumored, and I can only hope this movie doesn't get lost in the shuffle between summer blockbusters and Oscar season. I also hope Lion's Gate markets this film for what it is, and doesn't try to aim for fans of slash, or a teen crowd.

Opinions on this film do vary considerably which, given the subject matter, is probably inevitable. The subject matter itself is the main point which carries the film, and it really could have been a much better film if the length had been shortened, and the direction made much tighter. Plot descriptions have been explained in so much detail that there's nothing really to add, but on viewing the film it does become undeniably tedious and, in parts, frankly irritating. The denouement is weak and unsatisfactory, and the whole effort somewhat disappointing. It is undoubtedly a film with a reputation higher than its actual substance.

I saw the trailer for Hard Candy when I went to see Hostel (which sucked, but we'll not get into that). I was immediately drawn to it. It's suppose to come out April 14th but it came through with the Central Florida Film Festival two weeks early. I could have waited and paid less and got a better seat, but oh my god, even with a crap view I was blown away.

The cinematography was masterful, the acting was spectacular, the dialogue was a little awkward in pints but never really faltered, and the plot! You would think a movie consisting of 2 characters in a house would have it moments of tediousness, but not at all. So many psychological thrills it will set your mind a boggling.