Universal Pictures
This review is going to be as spoiler-free as possible but one potential (or not) spoiler cannot not be revealed, but I don’t think it’s that big a deal if you know a major plot point ahead of seeing the movie. Just in case, be forewarned.
The original 1992 Candyman was set in the projects of Chicago known as Cabrini-Green. The new version is set in the same location, however the area has been gentrified out of existence, the housing now expensive skyscrapers that no one from the old Cabrini-Green would ever be able to afford. Living in one of those luxury apartments is Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris) and her artist boyfriend Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). She works for an art gallery and has managed to get Anthony a spot in the next exhibit, much to her boss’ dismay. But Anthony is having a bit of a block, stuck on what his next piece should be.
After an evening with Brianna’s brother Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) and his boyfriend Grady (Kyle Kaminsky), Anthony is drawn into the story of Cabrini-Green and the Candyman, as related by Troy. Drawn to what’s left of the abandoned projects, Anthony encounters a man, William Burke (Coleman Domingo), who elaborates on the Candyman story. In flashbacks we see a young boy in the laundry room of the buildings with a large hole in the wall. The police have been looking for a man they believe has been putting razor blades in candy and giving them to children. The boy is stunned when a man matching the description of Candyman, complete with a hook where his hand used to be, emerges from the wall. The boy yells and the police converge, murdering the man on the spot. The boy was William, and after the man was killed, there were more incidents of razors in candy, so the man the police killed was not the man they were looking for. And then William tells Anthony the legend that if you say ‘Candyman’ five times while looking in a mirror, he will appear and kill you.
All of this ignites Anthony’s artistic fuel but he becomes a man possessed by the Candyman story, to the point that he’s putting himself and others in danger. Things really come to a head after the art exhibit where Anthony’s piece, ‘Say His Name’, gets Brianna’s boss and his girlfriend into some very hot water when she does say his name. As the legend of Candyman begins to spread again, Anthony learns some very shocking truths about himself.
So — spoiler time. Candyman is being billed as a ‘spiritual sequel’ to the original film. It’s much more than that … it is a direct sequel which completely ignores the other sequels (much as the most recent Halloween movie ignored all the original’s sequels). The first clue is that the film heavily references Helen Lyle, the character played by Virginia Madsen. Her photo is seen in a newspaper clipping, and her voice is heard in recordings. If you’re a fan of the original film, then the name of the lead character, Anthony McCoy should ring a very loud bell — he’s the baby from the first movie who was almost killed in the fire, the baby Helen saved (although the current purveyors of the Candyman legend claim she tried to kill the baby while she was possessed by Candyman). Later in the film, Anthony learns some surprising information about his birth, and he goes to visit his mother Anne-Marie … who is played by the same actress from the original film, Vanessa Williams! So, yes, this is much more than a ‘spiritual sequel’.
This modern day Candyman, which was originally to have been released in June 2020, comes at a time when its story can really focus on social issues and racial injustices, and it’s sure to make some viewers uncomfortable with its blunt storytelling, especially around the gentrification of Cabrini-Green, and the treatment of the residents there over the years by predominantly white police officers. People don’t like uncomfortable, real-life issues mixed in with their entertainment, but sometimes that’s the only way to show people what’s going on in the world, as long as it’s not done heavy-handedly (like in the movie Crash, which somehow won the Best Picture Oscar).
The cast of the film are all very good. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Anthony has the toughest job as he goes from mild-mannered artist to a man driven nearly to madness by trying to tell Candyman’s story through his art, which becomes increasingly disturbing. He also has to deal with the effects of a bee sting, which also contributes to his mental and physical deterioration. WandaVision‘s Teyonah Parris is also very good as his girlfriend Brianna. She is a no-nonsense woman and she’s never a victim. When Anthony begins to truly lose it, she’s not about to put up with him but she will still put herself on the line to try and save him from whatever he’s enduring. Colman Domingo is appropriately creepy as William Burke, the man who relates the legend of the Candyman to Anthony. He seems just like an average guy at the start but there is something frightening bubbling under the surface. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett is fine as Brianna’s brother Troy, but I’m not sure the character was necessary (but at least this is a horror film in which the gay characters do not get killed, so points for that).
The film’s production design is stunning, from the luxury apartment to the remains of Cabrini-Green. It all feels very authentic. Director Nia DaCosta has done a spectacular job of balancing the message with the horror, giving us a few vivid moments of blood and gore while letting us imagine others — which can often be more horrifying than what can be shown on screen. The screenplay by DaCosta, Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld is solid, with a beginning, middle and end … but that ending could also be an opening to more if they so choose to do them. If you’re a fan of the original film, I think you will find this Candyman a very satisfying follow-up. If you haven’t seen the original, or haven’t seen it in many years, you can still enjoy this film on its own, but I would suggest going back to watch the original at some point to catch the references to the original. All in all, this is a worthy successor that will send chills down your spine on these hot Summer days.
Candyman has a run time of 1 hour 31 minutes and is rated R for bloody horror violence, and language including some sexual references.
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