Candyman (2021)
Continuing a long history of horror being used as a catalyst for larger studies and meditations on oppressed groups and social commentary, Bernard Rose's Candyman not just struck audiences with fear for a new iconic horror legend but also provided a poignant and ahead of its time commentary on modern-day racism that plays as well today as it did when the film first released in 1992. While two lesser sequels followed the first film, the Candyman legend slowly faded out of the mainstream conversation with the film never quite finding the same attention and legacy of other horror films surrounding it.
With relevant themes and an established lore that provides an excellent playground for invention and creativity, it was only a matter of time however until Candyman found his way back onto the big screen with Nia DaCosta leading the project as the director. Taking place in a modern-day post-gentrification Cabrini Green, the film follows a young artist named Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who becomes inspired by the legend of Candyman and begins to capture him and the real-life tragedies he is associated with within his art. This seems like a breakthrough for McCoy but suddenly deaths start to follow both him and his work with McCoy having to face the ghosts he has brought back from the past.
While there is a million ways the project could have gone wrong, Nia DaCosta's Candyman strikes with the same poignance and craft as Bernard Rose's film becoming not just a worthy sequel but even an enhanced version of what the first film is meant to be. One of the clearest examples of this is in its horror identity. While the first film had quite a bit of strong horror iconography and fun kills, it ended up feeling a bit too over the top at times with the third act especially feeling a bit confused in how it wanted to handle its characters in relation to its horror identity. 2021's Candyman solves this with a strong craft and voice that is both clear and confident. Instead of relying on jumpscare horror, the terror of Candyman is subtle and intense. Candyman will be seen lurking in the background of mirrors, stalking and hunting his prey while never feeling too gimmicky or forced. The kills are gruesome but even with the amount of blood and guts seen, the film wisely takes a distant approach to showing the violence letting the audience's mind do the work for it.
The horror is also undeniably tied to the political motivations and social commentary within the feature. For all the crimes committed against the horror genre in the past few decades, its rejection of its social purpose has been one of the more disappointing. Horror has historically been tied to social commentary and giving a voice to the darker crimes of society. From society's treatment of the LGBTQ+ community which is featured in the heart of Frankenstein to the commentary on slavery in White Zombie, horror was at one point a powerful and poignant expression of social ideals but with the increased focus on the jumpscare, this sadly became largely lost. Luckily, there has been a slow yet steady resurgence of this identity with Candyman serving as a key stepping stone and return to form for the genre and its resurrection.
Taking the established lore from the 1992 film and building a solid and meaningful set of ideas on top of it, Candyman is an incredibly poignant and relevant expression of systematic oppression and police brutality that demands to be seen. Perfectly shocking without ever becoming exploitative, the film captures the emotions and layers of this modern-day issue with an authentic craft that when paired with the film's horror ideals, creates easily one of the best horror films of the year if not the decade. The film's craft extends past the narrative and into its filmmaking also. Aside from the occasional awkward moment of visual effects, the visuals of Candyman are nothing short of stunning with the cinematography from John Guleserian especially standing out for its grand yet tilted capturing of the world the characters inhabit. The score from Robert A. A. Lowe is also unnerving yet beautiful, again elevating an already established highlight of the first film.
The acting throughout the film is also rather solid from top to bottom. While no single actor truly stands out as a groundbreaking performance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris especially really do sell the various emotions present within the film which often are conflicting and confusing to the characters creating a difficult task for the actors. Their desperation and brooding nature are undeniable. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett provides an incredibly well-placed sense of comedic relief while Colman Domingo offers the subtle intensity he pulls off like no other as already seen this year with his stunning supporting role in Zola.
It is hard not to walk away from Candyman with one's jaw on the floor with surprise and delight. What so easily could have been a bland sequel that is simply trying to make a quick buck on an established character is instead a motivated and inspired final product that is truly one of the best films of the year. Don't be afraid to say his name and experience this memorable and thrilling expression for yourself.
With relevant themes and an established lore that provides an excellent playground for invention and creativity, it was only a matter of time however until Candyman found his way back onto the big screen with Nia DaCosta leading the project as the director. Taking place in a modern-day post-gentrification Cabrini Green, the film follows a young artist named Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who becomes inspired by the legend of Candyman and begins to capture him and the real-life tragedies he is associated with within his art. This seems like a breakthrough for McCoy but suddenly deaths start to follow both him and his work with McCoy having to face the ghosts he has brought back from the past.
While there is a million ways the project could have gone wrong, Nia DaCosta's Candyman strikes with the same poignance and craft as Bernard Rose's film becoming not just a worthy sequel but even an enhanced version of what the first film is meant to be. One of the clearest examples of this is in its horror identity. While the first film had quite a bit of strong horror iconography and fun kills, it ended up feeling a bit too over the top at times with the third act especially feeling a bit confused in how it wanted to handle its characters in relation to its horror identity. 2021's Candyman solves this with a strong craft and voice that is both clear and confident. Instead of relying on jumpscare horror, the terror of Candyman is subtle and intense. Candyman will be seen lurking in the background of mirrors, stalking and hunting his prey while never feeling too gimmicky or forced. The kills are gruesome but even with the amount of blood and guts seen, the film wisely takes a distant approach to showing the violence letting the audience's mind do the work for it.
The horror is also undeniably tied to the political motivations and social commentary within the feature. For all the crimes committed against the horror genre in the past few decades, its rejection of its social purpose has been one of the more disappointing. Horror has historically been tied to social commentary and giving a voice to the darker crimes of society. From society's treatment of the LGBTQ+ community which is featured in the heart of Frankenstein to the commentary on slavery in White Zombie, horror was at one point a powerful and poignant expression of social ideals but with the increased focus on the jumpscare, this sadly became largely lost. Luckily, there has been a slow yet steady resurgence of this identity with Candyman serving as a key stepping stone and return to form for the genre and its resurrection.
Taking the established lore from the 1992 film and building a solid and meaningful set of ideas on top of it, Candyman is an incredibly poignant and relevant expression of systematic oppression and police brutality that demands to be seen. Perfectly shocking without ever becoming exploitative, the film captures the emotions and layers of this modern-day issue with an authentic craft that when paired with the film's horror ideals, creates easily one of the best horror films of the year if not the decade. The film's craft extends past the narrative and into its filmmaking also. Aside from the occasional awkward moment of visual effects, the visuals of Candyman are nothing short of stunning with the cinematography from John Guleserian especially standing out for its grand yet tilted capturing of the world the characters inhabit. The score from Robert A. A. Lowe is also unnerving yet beautiful, again elevating an already established highlight of the first film.
The acting throughout the film is also rather solid from top to bottom. While no single actor truly stands out as a groundbreaking performance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris especially really do sell the various emotions present within the film which often are conflicting and confusing to the characters creating a difficult task for the actors. Their desperation and brooding nature are undeniable. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett provides an incredibly well-placed sense of comedic relief while Colman Domingo offers the subtle intensity he pulls off like no other as already seen this year with his stunning supporting role in Zola.
It is hard not to walk away from Candyman with one's jaw on the floor with surprise and delight. What so easily could have been a bland sequel that is simply trying to make a quick buck on an established character is instead a motivated and inspired final product that is truly one of the best films of the year. Don't be afraid to say his name and experience this memorable and thrilling expression for yourself.