Review of Hard Candy (2005) by Matthew M — 28 Feb 2012

As hard to watch as it is captivating, "Hard Candy" provides a rare and brutally honest look at the world of Internet dating and the horrors that may come from it. The most important, yet disturbing, aspect of the plot is that the tables are turned - until watching, I'd always expected the film was about Patrick Wilson (with a pitch perfect performance) attacking the innocent and naive Ellen Page, who, at such a young and tender age, already looks like a brilliant rising talent.

The script is clever and well-written, the innuendoes and sexual talk dealt with in a way that is typical of teenage life and that doesn't seem fake. There are so many words to sum it up, yet they make no sense together: disturbing, engrossing, nightmarish, beautiful, intense, powerful, entertaining, the list continues.

Slade, in his directorial debut, manages to keep the audience's attention in such disgusting situations by keeping the visual style fresh - the cinematography is fluid and emotionally involved, the tones dilute and concentrate in time with the mental anguish of both characters and it becomes much more than a form of entertainment - it's an experience.

An experience that, depending on your sensibilities, you may love or want to avoid.