Part of Queer Qlassics
Fourteen-year-old Hayley Stark (Elliot Page) meets 32-year-old groomer (and photographer) Jeff Kohlver (Patrick Wilson) in an online chatroom. After explicit exchanges, Hayley meets Jeff in person, which leads to Jeff inviting Hayley to his home for a private fashion shoot. After Jeff begins to ply the teen with alcohol, Hayley turns the tables on her predator, enacting a duplicitous, feminist revenge plot.
“In HARD CANDY, the only person we see suffer is a privileged professional white man.” —Rebecca Stringer, Feminism at the Movies
“Despite the postfeminist prohibitions on female violence, it is noticeable that [HARD CANDY] explore[s] the rebellion and containment of teenage girls.” —Frances Smith, Rethinking the Hollywood Teen Movie
“A spectacular performance by [Elliot] Page elevates this disturbing slice of designer shocksploitation into a film that's impossible to dismiss on principle.” —Todd McCarthy, Variety