Director – Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, Top Boy)
Starring – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman, Watchmen), Teyonah Parris (Mad Men, WandaVision), and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Doctor Who, Drunk History: UK)
Release Date – 2021
Rating – 3.5/5
When it comes to 90s horror very few horror properties have the fan base that 1992’s Candyman does. Written by Clive Barker of Hellraiser fame and starring genre legend Tony Todd, the film would spawn three sequels along with countless urban legends after it’s early 90s release. Hell, it’s one of the few pop horror franchises that I enjoy. I even like the lesser successful sequels.
When news of a reboot produced by Jordan Peele broke I was all for it. Peele has shown that he is a dedicated fan of the genre and his contributions so far are historic so I was genuinely looking forward to it. I wasn’t able to catch it in theaters but when a physical release was announced I was quick to pounce on it. I was lucky enough to get a copy in for review and the second I had time in my schedule I tossed it in.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows an artist and his girlfriend who move into luxury apartments in Chicago that was once known as Cabrini Green. After hearing the story of Candyman from his brother in law he starts to investigate the area where he meets a an older man that grew up in Cabrini Green and remembers when Sherman Fields was gunned down by police when he was suspected of putting razor blades in candy. Nicknamed the Candyman, he is known to appear in mirrors if you say Candyman five times while looking in one. This inspired his newest piece but when those that critic it soon find themselves dead. As he dives deeper into the legend of Candyman and all the men that held that mantle he discovers that he has closer ties to the legend than it had appeared and soon he is the one responsible for keeping the namesake alive. **Spoiler Alert**
Horror fans can be extremely toxic. Hell, I dislike most of the horror community because of how negative and condescending they are. Many were quick to bash this one before it was released and I’ll be honest and admit that I made a few jokes about it but I had every intention of checking it out. However, after finally checking it out I can’t see the reason some of the genre fans disliked it.
The acting in this one is great. The entire cast works phenomenally well together and their characters are written perfectly for the story. With that being said, we don’t really get enough screen time of the Sherman Fields after he was transformed into Candyman.
The story for this one is a great way to pick up from the original story almost thirty years later. We get a much bigger backstory to Daniel Robbitaille along with an expanding lore that makes it’s way into modern society while staying true to it’s roots with discrimination. It works as a continuation while leaving it open to so many more possibilities. However, my biggest complaint of the film was the lack of Sherman’s Candyman along with the new incarnation of Candyman. What made the first film so much fun was the cat and mouse game played by Candyman and Helen Lyle. It has that slasher vibe that I expected and pretty much enjoy but more Candyman and a little less psychological horror would have been fantastic.
Finally, the film has some seriously fun on screen deaths with a mixture of practical and visual effects. The visuals are noticeable but not bad while the practical effects are great. Overall, Candyman is a great reboot that gives fans of the original film something to grab onto. The cast is fantastic and I look forward to future installments building up on this one. I highly recommend it.
