The latest horror film to overcome its pandemic delays and finally get released is Candyman. A sequel to the highly influential 1992 horror, the new version promised to be a fresh take on the beloved story. With that mission, it completely succeeds. Candyman completely honors its original story, continuing the 1992 film in a way that feels much more modern and socially conscious.
While there was some speculation as to how closely Candyman 2021 would relate to Candyman 1992, it's clear from the beginning that they are very closely intertwined. The new Candyman is a direct sequel to the first film, they take place in the same universe, but it's set close to 30 years later. This means that the story of Helen from the first film, the baby being kidnapped, and Tony Todd's Candyman character all exist in this world and play a huge part in the story.
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This film revolves around Anthony, an artist, and his girlfriend Brianna. They live in Chicago, close to the old Cabrini-Green, but of course, it now looks nothing like it used to. While having an evening with Brianna's brother, he tells them the story of Helen from the original Candyman film. However, it's phrased as though she was simply an unhinged woman who kidnapped a baby and then ran into a bonfire. Viewers who have seen the first film, of course, know that there's more to it. Anthony listens to Helen's story and feels connected to it, so he goes to research Cabrini-Green. There he meets someone who tells him the legend of the Candyman, and it begins to take over his life.
Candyman 2021 is directed by Nia DaCosta, with a screenplay co-written by Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. Peele also serves as a producer, and his trademarks are all over this movie (in a good way). Peele is known for his slick and metaphor-heavy films with a focus on social and political commentary. The writing of this film really reflects that. Everything feels very purposeful and sharp, the script is really tight, and the story makes complete sense while still being full of surprises and twists. DaCosta's directing is also stunning, this film is just really sharp and well made. It should make viewers excited about what she will do with the upcoming MCU film The Marvels.
The original Candyman is also a really tightly made and well-done film with an incredible rewatchability factor. It seems very well-intentioned and it talks about an issue that not many movies were touching on at that time. However, looking at it with the lens of a 2021 moviegoer, some of the characters and plot points don't feel as socially aware as they should. Telling the story of systemic racism, gentrification, and the Black American experience should never have been done by a British white director and a white woman as the lead. Candyman 2021 has those same intentions and messages, with even more commentary on things like gentrification and police brutality, but it's told in a much more accurate and socially aware way making it all the more effective.
Candyman also has a quality that many recent horror films are lacking: it's actually scary. A lot of the scares come from extremely well-crafted tension and outstanding performances, as opposed to straight-up blood and guts. There is a fair share of gore, especially towards the end, but it isn't overwhelming and the average person should be able to handle it. As a whole, there aren't a ton of cringe-worthy gore moments as much as there are actually scary moments. It leaves a real lasting impression and will have viewers feeling a little uneasy at nighttime, especially when they're looking in the mirror.
The ending of this film is really something and is sure to be divisive. It's unexpected and different from where it seems like the film is going in a few ways, but it does come together quite cohesively. It's a bit sad, but also a bit empowering, quite violent, and very scary. The ending is also where all of the tiny pieces of the story and the hints given throughout the film come together. It's an ending that makes everything make sense. It's also open-ended, leaving room for a possible sequel, and contains a pretty exciting reveal.
In terms of flaws, Candyman's are few and far between-- but they definitely exist. The film could have used another 10-20 minutes in its runtime, specifically to flesh out the final act. Just that extra bit of time would have meant more screen time for the really exciting moments and just a bit more tension. It also could have used more Candyman. Tony Todd is billed in this film as his original role, but viewers shouldn't expect to see much of him. Passing the torch to a new, also very scary, Candyman and expanding the lore of the legend was fantastic. However, the presence of the new Candyman wasn't felt nearly as much as Todd's original take. The villain should have been seen more, and just a little bit more of Tony Todd could have been great.
The metaphors here are very clear and there's no guessing what the movie is actually about. While that's not an issue, sometimes it felt a little too on the nose. Nothing ever got overwhelmingly "in your face", but it did flirt with the boundary. Some people don't like their metaphors spoon-fed to them, and Candyman is just a little guilty of doing that.
Fans of Peele's previous horror films will be very into this movie, as will lovers of the original Candyman. Expanding what was given to audiences in that film and interpreting it in a modern way has paid off really well and made for a fantastic cinema experience. It's extremely topical, captivating, and interesting to look at. If anything, its flaws are really that viewers will be looking for more because what's presented is already so good.