Candyman

Candyman

Anthony and his partner move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini-Green. After a chance encounter with an old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence.

  • Released: 2021-08-25
  • Runtime: 91 minutes
  • Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thrillers
  • Stars: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Kyle Kaminsky, Vanessa Williams, Brian King, Miriam Moss, Rebecca Spence, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Christiana Clark, Michael Hargrove, Rodney L Jones III, Ireon Roach, Breanna Lind, Heidi Grace Engerman, Sarah Lo, Malic White, Mark Montgomery, Torrey Hanson, Cassie Kramer, Sarah Wisterman, Cedric Mays, Alec Silver, Hannah Love Jones, J. Nicole Brooks, Pamela Jones, Genesis Denise Hale, Katherine Purdie, Tien Tran, Mike Geraghty, Aaron Crippen, Dan Fierro, Nadia Simms, Nancy Pender, Johnny Westmoreland, Guy Spencer, Daejon Staeker, Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen, Ben Marten
  • Director: Nia DaCosta
 Comments
  • kandaceegarcia - 1 May 2024
    Gentrification, Race, and Ghostly Slashers
    Candyman (2021) directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Jordan Peele set my expectations high based on the trailer and Peele's name being attached to it. The original Candyman was horrifying and so I expected nothing less going into this film.

    The film opens in 1977 Chicago with a glimpse at the ghostly figure of the Candyman before flashing foreword to present day gentrified Chicago. Our leading man, Anthony, a painter and his girlfriend, Brianna, are told the story of the Candyman during a silly conversation at a dinner party and when Anthony's art is critiqued, he decides to start a series of painting based on the folktale.

    Anthony's painting series is primarily guided by talking to William Burke, an elder in the Cabrini neighborhood who has apparently seen the Candyman himself. Though, with a series of twists and turns, Anthony ends up seeing the Candyman and becoming him while people die all over the city.

    With a great soundtrack and wonderfully incorporated shots of mirrors and bees, motifs that represent the Candyman's proximity to the characters, this film falls short in fully developing each of its many plotlines.

    Anthony is apparently a descendant of the Candyman and his return home to Cabrini marks his time to turn into the man himself. Yet, this major plot point is glossed over quite a bit in a very short conversation with his mother. Brianna's father, prior to the film, kills himself without serious explanation or relation to the Candyman.

    The gentrification of the city is talked about quite a bit, but the city is very rarely shown outside of some art galleries, a high school, a laundromat, and a church- all of which are primarily filmed from the inside. Then, when Anthony discovers how all of the Candymen (yes, plural) are victims of hate crimes in one way or another the plot falls even shorter in elaborating on all of these men.

    Anthony then becomes a victim of police brutality himself when he is shot despite being Burke's victim (as Burke tries to keep the Candyman alive to prevent gentrification- this is glossed over as well). Then, Brianna now being persuaded by the police to keep quiet, summons him alive by saying his name five times- calling the Candyman.

    This film is not bad by any means, it is just extremely misguided. Instead of a film, it would work much better as a TV series since there are so many unexplored plot points and large topics to cover all throughout it. Though, if you enjoyed the original film, then this may be something to watch to get the warm feeling of nostalgia back. Yet, you may also be disappointed as well with how underdeveloped this is in comparison to the first.

    Either way, it is an entertaining watch, but not a scary or fully developed one which left me thinking, "what is happening?" quite a few times throughout the duration of the film.
  • Ltufano23 - 16 October 2023
    The Candyman Can't
    In his run through horror films, Jordan Peele tackles Candyman, bringing the buzzing tale into modern cinemas. With the original being a unique, unsettling, and creepy story, Peele attempts to add new layers to the narrative in more of a psychological take. Unfortunately, I feel that this pulls away from the best aspects of the original. Had it been executed in less of a confusing manner, the elements added could have greatly improved on the legacy and created more of a lasting impact. The cast elevate the script greatly as they all give great performances throughout and do their best to create a chilling experience. Visually, it's a treat to watch the body horror and you get uncomfortable in the best ways as the kills roll in. Candyman is definitely worth a watch, but expect a different tale than the original weaves.