By Paul Hall
In 1992, a film came to the screen that told us if we say the name Candyman five times into a mirror, a mysterious man would appear and kill us. Now, in 2021, with a neighborhood that has drastically changed, the tale is told again through a new vision. Will you say the name Candyman in the mirror? I won’t, as the reimagined Candyman goes deeper than your average horror tale.
Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is an up-and-coming artist in the Chicago art scene. He is currently looking for his next inspiration and struggling, as sometimes can happen. His girlfriend and biggest fan, Brianna (Teyonah Parris), also works in the art world. Together they are a power couple.
At a dinner party, Brianna’s brother Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), tells a scary story that gives Anthony the impetus to dig deeper and the inspiration for his new works. His research sends him to the other side of Cabrini Green, the Chicago housing project that was once home to the meanest streets in the city. Now, the area is home to a mix of redeveloped condos alongside the remaining buildings. While exploring, he meets a man on the streets who tells him the story of Candyman.
The story leads Anthony down a path that sees people around him mysteriously dying. He just may have unlocked the secret to returning Candyman to the world and unleashing his terror on a new generation.
Though this telling of Candyman is packaged as horror, there is a much deeper story unveiled, and over the course of the film we get exposed to the deeper metaphor at the center of the narrative. We fear the unknown and we want to blame anyone else for our problems. It is easy to fire first and ask questions later, being lauded when we eliminate suspected villains.
Using the art world as a basis for the setting allows Director Nia DaCosta the ability to creatively tell the story of Candyman and bring him back to the modern world. It’s the key to unlocking our fear, as it makes all of our nightmares come to life. She has successfully created an artfully crafted horror film.
While I liked so much of the film, shortcomings do exist. I felt the story jumped around a bit in trying to progress things, and there were a number of moments that left me wondering how we got there. Although I love films that don’t tell us too much, there were plenty of moments in Candyman that could have used a bit of an enhanced setup in storytelling.
Candyman brings the urban legend into 2021 and laces it with real-life fear — an uneasiness that in many ways shouldn’t exist, but unquestionably does. No matter; I will not be saying Candyman five times into a mirror anytime soon.
Paul’s Grade: B
Candyman
Rated R
Stars: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett
Director: Nia DaCosta
