- Hayley
Imagine Little Red Riding Hood except for this time the big bad wolf is captured and tortured. On the surface that may not seem like such a bad thing. After all, the wolf would eat Red Riding Hood given the chance. But at what point of capture and torture would you begin to feel sympathy for the wolf?
This is the central question posited by Hard Candy, and boy does it sit with you. Ellen Page stars as Hayley, a mature teen who takes on a suspected pedophile under the guise of prey. Her target is Jeff, played by Patrick Wilson, and for much of the film we are kept in the dark as to whether he really is the pedophile that Hayley believes him to be. What follows is an engaging reversal as Hayley assumes power and tries to probe the truth from Jeff. One torture scene is particularly cringe worthy for any guy watching and it really makes the audience reconsider how we feel about Hayley, our “hero.” How long do we side with our protagonist when they go down a dark path in search of justice? It’s a question that audiences will mull over long after the film ends.
The film take place over the course of one day and much of the story is progressed through dialogue. The setting is (primarily) limited to Jeff’s house and despite such constraints the pace of the story is steady and never slows down more than necessary. Both Page and Wilson carry much of the film’s success through their performances. Both roles require a level of nuance that matches our complex feelings towards them, and it’s really satisfying to see both actors pull it off. The best story telling experiences stick with us for some time, and for a movie to stick with me this long after its release is quite telling. Definitely worth watching and exploring.
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