"Candyman" for us is one of those film franchises that we were too young to really remember and appreciate but old enough that we were authentically scared and scarred by its lore. There's just something about summoning Candyman that rings a primordial fear in our minds. This modern rendition of "Candyman" pushes the franchise to be more connected and to be more concerned on society's ills. Do we love it? Yes but we cannot deny that this also misses out on what made these kind of movies enjoyable - that sudden jolt of fear.
Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a visual artist who has been struggling to get his next big inspiration. With an upcoming show and nothing to show, he hears about the urban legend of Helen Lyle - a white girl who went to Cabrini-Green in the 1990s and went crazy. The gruesome story inspires him to focus on the storied dark past of the Cabrini-Green housing project which introduces him to the even crazier legend of Candyman. As Anthony devles deeper into Candyman's origins, he sees vivid visions of Candyman himself while gruesome murders begin popping up around the city. Is his mind playing tricks on him or is Candyman really real?
In an era were reboots completey wipe off the previous efforts of past films, we appreciate how "Candyman" really took an effort to honor and to take care of its roots. This 2021 narrative found a way to seamlessly mix old with new that would make fans of the previous franchise happy while those new to this (like us) not even notice these nuances. For us, the film's biggest asset was its story. It gave a deeper meaning for the Candyman legend. Not only is he a scary killer but it was able to connect the impact of constant and innate racism in a segment of society - in this case, the residents of Cabrini-Green. But what's puzzling of us was the fact that the character of Candyman took a reduced role to the point that this slasher wasn't really scary at all. There will be gruesome kills but these are fast, fleeting, and few and far between. Those who expect their slashers to be purely thrill and fun, then "Candyman" will be a too serious affair to be really enjoyable. "Candyman" is the type of film that you need to get to really appreciate unfortunately.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- was able to balance old and new
- when it decides to be a slasher, this was pure bliss
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