If Only Juno Was a Thriller...

Well now that the buzz is surrounding Miss Ellen Page has reached a subtle roar after her performance in Juno, you may be wondering where this surprising young actress came from?  More importantly, you're probably wondering what else you can see her in without waiting for her new films to hit theaters.

Oh, do I have a rental suggestion for you.

To begin with, 2005's "Hard Candy" is a doozy.  The films stars Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson and they give quite a compelling performance.

Here's a quick synopsis.  Hayley Stark (Ellen Page) is a 15-year-old girl who's friend has been chatting with 32-year-old photographer Jeff Kohlver (Patrick Wilson) over the internet for the past three weeks.  Upon meeting Jeff at a local coffee shop, Hayley flirts with Jeff and talks him into going back to his house, despite their age difference.  Once back at Jeff's apartment, Hayley accuses Jeff of pedophilia.  When he denies these accusations, Hayley tortures him both mentally and physically to find out the truth.

As you can tell from the subject matter and its R rating, the film is rather controversial.  If you're worried about the gore factor, you can put your fears to bed.  Most of the torture sequences never actually show the target area, leaving your mind to fill in the gaps.  This is incredibly effective and will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole ride.

The psychological game of cat and mouse is brilliant.  Page's character acts eerily mature for her age and actually makes the adult in the movie seem like a child.  Occasionally, you'll catch Page slipping back into her more vulnerable 15-year-old persona, but only for an instant.  This only puzzles the audience more, making them wonder if she really does have every angle figured out.  Creepy stuff.

The film has an incredibly low budget (under $1 million according to wikipedia) and most of it takes place inside Jeff's house.  However, this movie is shot cleanly and has an uncanny sense of style.  To quote an IMDB reviewer, this is indie film done right.  Indeed.

So, if you're up for the challenge of stomaching this little number, I highly recommend it.  If not, Page has a new more light hearted film "Smart People" coming out this year.  Either way, keep your eye on this budding young actress.

(Picture taken from www.horrorlair.com)