History YMMV / HardCandy

* HarsherInHindisght: The entire premise of the movie once Elliot would later reveal in his memoir that a production member of the movie sexually assaulted him while giving him a ride after the movie's wrap party.

** Judy Tokuda's role is subject to this. As she's only in one scene and we never hear from her again, it's not clear how she's going to affect the characters. Some believe she will back Hayley up, as noted in the FridgeLogic page. Others believe she will bust Hayley.

* MagnificentBastard: Hayley Stark [[WiseBeyondTheirYears is an extremely gifted teenage girl]] who uses her extensive intellect to lure out [[PaedoHunt pedophiles, rapists, and murderers]]. She gets them into a false sense of security making them believe she is a naive young girl before tearing into to them both [[ColdBloodedTorture physically]] and [[BreakThemByTalking emotionally]] before driving them to suicide. Upon luring out Jeff, she tears into him so bad that she pushes him into the FiveStagesOfGrief, until finally calling Janelle and threatening to [[PlayingTheVictimCard play the victim card]] in front of her.

!!The 2005 film:

** Judy Tokuda's role is subject to this. As she's only in one scene and we never hear from her again, it's not clear how she's going to affect the characters. Some believe she will back Hayley up, as noted in the Fridge Logic page. Others believe she will bust Hayley.

* FanDislikedExplanation: The screenwriter confirmed that, in his view, [[spoiler:Jeff is innocent of the murder Hayley accuses him of.]] A lot of viewers seem to prefer either thinking he did do it or that it is unknown (although the film doesn't confirm either way).

** Hayley gets a lot of this with regards to her raison d'etre. A lot of people consider her to be a righteous vigilante. However, she has Jeff at her mercy numerous times, and her plan is to [[spoiler:torture and manipulate him into killing himself]] — rather than going to the police with all the evidence she has. Although this may be another reason people consider Hayley so righteous, as law enforcement have a terrible track record of dealing with sexual abuse cases due to rape culture which is even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the movie itself when Hayley brings up Creator/RomanPolanski.

* RootingForTheEmpire: Though both of the protagonists themselves are established as villains, some fans found it easy to root for Hayley herself because of her [[MagnificentBastard undeniable charisma, and her desire to give predators and child molesters what they deserve.]] Others because Jeff is, quite frankly, a child pornographer.

* ValuesDissonance: When it was released in 2005, the story intentionally goes out of its way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good person. However, in recent years, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Creator/RomanPolanski as an example), and how, if Haley ''hadn’t'' turned out to be an insane serial killer looking for him specifically, that Jeff would have invited a vulnerable teenage girl to his apartment for drinks and (possibly) ended up raping and/or murdering her. That paired with the 2020s' recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the [=#MeToo=] movement, can make it harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[AssholeVictim Jeff]] all that much as time goes on.

* ValuesDissonance: When it was released in 2005, the story intentionally goes out of its way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good person. However, in recent years, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Creator/RomanPolanski as an example), and how, if Haley ''hadn’t'' turned out to be an insane serial killer looking for him specifically, that Jeff would have invited a vulnerable teenage girl to his apartment for drinks and (possibly) ended up raping and/or murdering her. That paired with the 2020s' recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the [=#MeToo=] movement, can make it harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much as time goes on.

** As mentioned in the AcceptableTargets entry, some people have theorized that Hayley is just a sadistic, budding SerialKiller who fixates on AcceptableTargets so that her "handiwork" can be interpreted as vigilantism.

* CharacterPerceptionEvolution: When it was released in 2005, the story intentionally goes out of its way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good person. However, in recent years, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Creator/RomanPolanski as an example), and how, if Haley ''hadn’t'' turned out to be an insane serial killer looking for him specifically, that Jeff would have invited a vulnerable teenage girl to his apartment for drinks and (possibly) ended up raping and/or murdering her. That paired with the 2020s' recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the [=#MeToo=] movement, can make it harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much as time goes on.

* ValuesResonance / ValuesDissonance: A strange example. When it was released in 2005, the story intentionally goes out of its way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good person. However, in recent years, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Creator/RomanPolanski as an example), and how, if Haley ''hadn’t'' turned out to be an insane serial killer looking for him specifically, that Jeff would have invited a vulnerable teenage girl to his apartment for drinks and (possibly) ended up raping and/or murdering her. That paired with the 2020s' recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the [=#MeToo=] movement, can make it harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much as time goes on.

* AcceptableTargets: Some have theorized that Hayley is just a sociopathic sadist who looks for socially acceptable targets, like pedophiles.

* MisaimedFandom: Hayley gets a lot of this with regards to her raison d'etre. A lot of people consider her to be a righteous vigilante. However, she has Jeff at her mercy numerous times, and her plan is to [[spoiler:torture and manipulate him into killing himself]] — rather than going to the police with all the evidence she has. Although this may be another reason people consider Hayley so righteous, as law enforcement have a terrible track record of dealing with sexual abuse cases due to rape culture which is even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the movie itself when Hayley brings up Creator/RomanPolanski.

* NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize: [[spoiler:Surprisingly subverted. Sandra Oh, despite appearing in several famous movies and shows (including a starring role in Grey's Anatomy) has been placed in a OneSceneWonder role as an extra; despite being very suspicious of Hayley, she disappears for the rest of the plot (besides Jeff using her suspicion to try and make Hayley paranoid) acting as a human RedHerring of sorts.]]

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Elephant Woman by Blonde Redhead.

* ValuesResonance / ValuesDissonance: A strange example. When it was released in 2005, the story intentionally goes out of its way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good person. However, in recent years, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Roman Polanski as an example), and how, if Haley ''hadn’t'' turned out to be an insane serial killer looking for him specifically, that Jeff would have invited a vulnerable teenage girl to his apartment for drinks and (possibly) ended up raping and/or murdering her. That paired with the 2020s' recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the Me Too movement, can make it harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much as time goes on.

* ValuesResonance / ValuesDissonance: A strange example. When it was released in 2005, the story intentionally goes out of its way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good person. However, in recent years, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Roman Polanski as an example), and how, if Haley ''hadn’t'' turned out to be an insane serial killer looking for him specifically, that Jeff would have invited a vulnerable teenage girl to his apartment for drinks and (possibly) ended up raping and/or murdering her. That paired with the 2020s' recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the Me Too movement, it can be harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much.

* ValuesResonance / ValuesDissonance: A strange example. In 2005, the story intentionally goes out of it’s way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good guy. However, in recent years, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Roman Polanski as an example), and how, if Haley hadn’t turned out to be an insane serial killer specifically looking for him, that Jeff would have invited a vulnerable teenage girl to his apartment for drinks and (possibly) ended up murdering her. That paired with 2020’s recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the Me Too movement, it can be harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much.

* ValuesResonance / ValuesDissonance: A strange example. In 2005, the story intentionally goes out of it’s way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good guy. However, in recent years, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Roman Polanski as an example). That paired with 2020’s recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the Me Too movement, can make it harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much.

* ValuesResonance / ValuesDissonance: A strange example. In 2005, while the story intentionally goes out of it’s way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good guy, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many in recent years as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way]] (even name-dropping Roman Polanski as an example). That paired with 2020’s recent influx of sexual assault accusations against many celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the Me Too movement, can make it harder and harder for a modern viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much.

* ValuesResonance / ValuesDissonance: A strange example. While the story intentionally goes out of it’s way to paint Haley and Jeff’s dynamic as an EvilVersusEvil situation where neither party is a good guy, Hayley’s animosity towards Jeff for being a pedophile is seen by many as putting her in an objectively better light, despite her other flaws, mainly because her crusade [[JerkassHasAPoint does raise some valid points about how the justice system has not dealt with predators like him in any meaningful way.]] That paired with 2020’s recent influx of sexual assault accusations against celebrities, powerful individuals being exposed for child grooming, and the rise of the Me Too movement, can make it harder and harder for a casual viewer to sympathize with [[JerkassVictim Jeff]] all that much.

* MisaimedFandom:
** Hayley gets a lot of this with regards to her raison d'etre. A lot of people consider her to be a righteous vigilante. However, she has Jeff at her mercy numerous times, and her plan is to [[spoiler:torture and manipulate him into killing himself]] — rather than going to the police with all the evidence she has. Although this may be another reason people consider Hayley so righteous, as law enforcement have a terrible track record of dealing with sexual abuse cases due to rape culture which is even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the movie itself when Hayley brings up Creator/RomanPolanski.
** Among ''actual pedophiles'' on UsefulNotes/TheDeepWeb who have used the title of the film as the name for an infamous child pornography wiki.

** A lot of people seem to think Hayley was molested or otherwise abused, driving her to seek revenge on men like the one who hurt her, which changes things. Page even mentions on the blu-ray commentary that Hayley being raped by her father was one of the backstories fans brought up for her, but gave no confirmation, and has said in interviews that she believes it's important to keep the audience from getting a clear explanation for her behavior.

** Among ''actual pedophiles'' on UsefulNotes/TheDeepWeb who have used the title of the film as the name for an infamous child pornogrpahy wiki.

* MagnificentBastard: Hayley Stark [[WiseBeyondTheirYears is an extremely gifted teenage girl]]. Who uses her extensive intellect to lure out [[PaedoHunt pedophiles, rapist and murderers]]. She gets them into a false sense of security making them believe she is a naive young girl before tearing into to them both [[ColdBloodedTorture physically]] and [[BreakThemByTalking emotionally]] before driving them to suicide. Upon luring out Jeff she tears into him so bad that she pushes him into the FiveStagesOfGrief, until finally calling Janelle and threatening to [[PlayingTheVictimCard play the victim card]] in front of her.

** Hayley gets a lot of this with regards to her raison d'etre. A lot of people consider her to be a righteous vigilante. However, she has Jeff at her mercy numerous times, and her plan is to [[spoiler: torture and manipulate him into killing himself]] - rather than going to the police with all the evidence she has. Although this may be another reason people consider Hayley so righteous as law enforcement have a terrible track record of dealing with sexual abuse cases due to rape culture which is even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the movie itself when Hayley brings up Creator/RomanPolanski.

* MoralEventHorizon: Both characters cross it. Jeff crosses it offscreen, in the backstory, by virtue of being a predatory pedophile and [[spoiler: either a murderer or accessory to murder]], Hayley during either the [[spoiler:castration scene]] or the ending.

** Among ''actual pedophiles'' on the UsefulNotes/TheDeepWeb who have used the title of the film as the name for an infamous child pornogrpahy wiki.

** Hayley gets a lot of this with regards to her raison d'etre. A lot of people consider her to be a righteous vigilante. However, she has Jeff at her mercy numerous times, and her plan is to [[spoiler: torture and manipulate him into killing himself]] - rather than going to the police with all the evidence she has. Although this may be another reason people consider Hayley so righteous as law enforcement have a terrible track record of dealing with sexual abuse cases due to rape culture.

** Among ''literal'' pedophiles on the UsefulNotes/TheDeepWeb who have used the title of the film as the name for an infamous child pornogrpahy wiki.

* MisaimedFandom: Hayley gets a lot of this with regards to her raison d'etre. A lot of people consider her to be a righteous vigilante. However, she has Jeff at her mercy numerous times, and her plan is to [[spoiler: torture and manipulate him into killing himself]] - rather than going to the police with all the evidence she has. Although this may be another reason people consider Hayley so righteous as law enforcement have a terrible track record of dealing with sexual abuse cases due to rape culture.