“I am not the monster you make me out to be!”

An intense psychological thriller, this one’s a difficult watch - difficult because of the subject matter, difficult because of the way it tackles the subject, and difficult because of some squirm-inducing moments that will leave quite a few of the menfolk clutching their family jewels in sheer terror.

Hayley (Ellen Page) is a 14-year old student, having a chat-room relationship with a 32-year old photographer named Jeff (Patrick Wilson). During one such chat, she suggests that they progress to the next level, and hook up at the local diner. When they meet face to face, Jeff comes across as a timid and bashful person, while Hayley who looks naïve, speaks with a maturity ahead of her years. She takes over the reigns during their chit-chat to suggest that they head over to Jeff’s place so that she can check out some bootlegged music.

Once at his place, events unfold to Jeff’s detriment as he finds himself drugged and falling unconscious while clicking photographs of the prancing teenager. When he comes to, he finds himself bound to a chair with a menacing Hayley drilling him about his pedophile collections and a missing local girl. A cat-and-mouse game ensues between the seemingly unhinged girl and her questionable captive, that is nerve-wracking to say the least. As the film progresses, the stakes are raised, and the tension ante is upped considerably.

In comparison to the rest of the film, the climax feels tepid and lacking in shock value. But it don’t matter - you’ve just been seriously rattled. The credit goes to director David Slade, who in his first directorial outing shows a natural flair for helming a gripping thriller.

Of course, the whole film would not have come together were it not for the knock-out performance from Ellen Page as Hayley, the filly-fatale from hell. She imbues her character with subtle tics and nuances to very unsettling effect. Patrick Wilson as Jeff, though quite capable, has been saddled with a weaker role, and gets totally over-shadowed by his junior co-star. Sandra Oh in a 5-minute cameo is totally wasted.

Hard Candy is bound to put off many a viewer, therefore an open mind is called for when you decide to view it.

And you can forget about that tub of popcorn too.

Runtime: 103 mins.

MPAA Rating: R for disturbing violent and aberrant content involving a teen, and for language.

Cast: Ellen Page, Patrick Wilson

Director: David Slade