Hard Candy (2005)
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A teenage girl lures a man she suspects of being a predator into a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The story
14-year-old Hayley Stark and 32-year-old photographer Jeff Kohlver engage in a sexually charged flirtatious online chat. They then meet at a coffeehouse before going to Jeff's home. When they arrive, Jeff makes them drinks, but Hayley refuses, saying she was taught to never take a drink she has not mixed herself, then goes to the kitchen and makes them both screwdrivers. Hayley asks Jeff to photograph her. He gets out his camera and Hayley begins to pose, but before Jeff can take any photos, he loses consciousness.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Jeff wakes up bound to a chair, Hayley reveals she drugged him because she believes he is a sexual predator. She searches his house and finds evidence of crimes involving missing girls. During a tense confrontation, she subjects him to a staged 'surgery' and later a standoff involving a gun and a noose. Jeff eventually confesses to being a bystander to a crime, and Hayley, having already confronted the actual perpetrator, allows him to choose his fate. He ultimately chooses to end his life on a roof. Hayley then flees the scene.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Slade
- Writers
- Brian Nelson · writer
- Cast and characters
- Patrick Wilson · Jeff Kohlver; Elliot Page · Hayley Stark; Sandra Oh · Judy Tokuda; Odessa Rae · Janelle Rogers; Gilbert John · Nighthawks Clerk
- Genres
- psychological thriller
- Themes
- vigilantism; sexual predation; justice
- Tone and mood
- tense; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- psychological thriller; vigilante; home invasion
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive reviews, with critics praising the lead performances and the tense atmosphere, while some found the themes of torture and mutilation distressing.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 6.4 · scale: 10 · review count: 147
- Awards and nominations
- Sitges Film Festival · Awards · 2005 · Win; Málaga Film Festival · Awards · 2006 · Win; Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards · Overlooked Film of the Year · 2006 · Win; Austin Film Critics Association Awards · Best Actress · 2006 · Win; Online Film Critics Society Awards · Breakthrough Performer · 2006 · Nomination; Empire Awards · Best Female Newcomer · 2006 · Nomination; British Independent Film Awards · Best Foreign Independent film · 2006 · Nomination; Golden Trailer Awards · Best Thriller · 2006 · Nomination; Golden Trailer Awards · Best Titles in a Trailer · 2006 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The character's red hoodie was a serendipitous choice that became a 'Little Red Riding Hood' allusion.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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