Candyman (2021) Review

Tagline: Dare to Say His Name.

Candyman (2021) Review

 

I didn’t re-watch the original Candyman before seeing the new one, which wasn’t clear to me in its marketing if it was a direct sequel or a remake/reboot. I’ll start this review off by recommending you check out the original beforehand. You don’t need to, but it is a direct follow-up. It tells a new story while remaining faithful to the original, and adds to the established lore in really terrific ways. That being said, this Candyman, despite sharing the same name as the first movie, is definitely its own thing, and not as much of a horror movie.

An up-and-coming artist living in Chicago hears the story of Helen Lyle (from the original film) and starts to delve into the urban legend that is “Candyman” because he’s found new inspiration in the haunting tales. His girlfriend is an art gallery owner, and while this new fascination with Candyman is helping him finally get some work done, it’s putting pressure on his relationship, and he’s dragged down into ever darker depths as the urban legend begins to make a return after a long slumber.

Candyman starts off feeling more like a thriller or drama, and the characters feel very real, as does the world they live in. The supernatural aspects are there, but time is taken to really build up to them, and the story of Candyman that you know from the original is addressed, but it’s also given some fresh material. The line from the trailer sums it up best: “Candyman ain’t a he, Candyman is the whole damn hive.” The use of shadow puppets to fill in the back story is an effective technique, too.

Director/co-writer Nia DaCosta puts her own stamp on it, with perfectly focused social commentary and a distinct visual style. The cinematography is clean and striking, and there are many memorable visuals, especially with mirrors and bees. A repeated motif I really liked is seeing a bee bumping up against a mirror, but on the inside of the mirror only. It’s creepy and original; none of the creepy things are too overdone or over-the-top. Candyman himself appears quite early, and while his appearances aren’t always that scary, he’s still a foreboding presence, and the way he is summoned (saying “Candyman” five times in a mirror) is also handled as well as it could be. It’s kind of a silly concept and could have gotten old real fast, but the way the characters lead to their encounters with him are easy enough to buy into.

The biggest criticism I have is the ending, or lack thereof. Without spoiling it, the characters are confronted by a specific scenario that plays out in a relatively short amount of time, then it cuts to credits, and it definitely feels like a strong conclusion is missing, but it doesn’t leave off on a cliff hanger either. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad ending, per say, but is certainly lacking something, and compared to the ending of the original, is far inferior.   

Of all the horror follow-ups to classics that use the same title as the original in the past few years, I think Candyman is actually one of the better examples. It doesn’t try too hard to be scary or top the 1992 film, but the way the lore is built upon and honored is compelling, even with the lack of resolution at the end.