Hard Candy
Also reviewed by:
Thomas J.
Well that’s the last time I ever try to pick up 14-year-old girls off the internet…
Bad paedophile jokes aside, this film is a damn fucking intense and gripping drama. It plays out much like a play. Only a couple of settings, two main characters with only a few other faces appearing at all. The dialogue is amazingly clever, the plotting hits all the right beats and the performances outstanding and, as much as I hate using this term, brave. Ellen Page is especially special, and it’s great to see that such a great young actress has been discovered so Hollywood can stop hiring botoxed 30 year olds to do these kind of roles.
The less you know about this going in the better, but one thing I have to mention is the distinct lack of music in the movie. Having no music perhaps surprisingly draws you more into the scene – giving it an unnerving natural effect – rather than relying on scary/action/etc. music to dictate what you should be feeling (although it does kind of cheat with it’s sound design slipping in ambient buzzes that seem to rise and fall in accordance with the tension).
For a film that mostly takes place within the small confines of an average-sized house the great direction (David Slade on feature film debut) keeps you from tiring of the same surroundings. Instead he uses the claustrophobia to his advantage. Look forward to what he’s taking on next.