“Candyman” has come back to life in a reimagining of the 1992 original. The film was directed by Nia DaCosta, who has made history as the first Black woman to have a film open at No. 1 in the North American box office.
The film opens in Chicago, just south of Division Street and draping over Larrabee Street, at the public housing projects of Cabrini-Green which existed from 1942-1962. After years of building extensions, repairs, and crime, in 1999, a “Plan for Transformation” was announced which listed Cabrini-Green as one of the high-rise buildings being demolished. Final demolitions took place by the end of 2010 after the evacuation of its last residents. Close to 15,000 people, a high percentage of whom were Black, lived in the crime ridden and neglected sector of the Windy City at its peak. These citizens knew that gentrification was coming and with tens of thousands of people soon to be displaced, there was only one thing the residents of Cabrini could say: “Candyman.”
The film opens with Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his girlfriend, Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), a successful art director in Chicago. Moving into one of the various lofts in the now-successfully gentrified Cabrini-Green., The couple sees a new way to revive a spark in their creativity and turn their careers around.
For a majority of the movie, “Candyman” holds its own with exceptional acting, great pacing and themes of social justice brought to the forefront. However, during the final moments, everything ends in a jumbled and abrupt cut to black, leaving the audience wondering where the extra 15 to 20 minutes went.
After McCoy hears the story of Helen Lyle, the subject of the first “Candyman,” he begins to investigate the story and finally finds the glimmer of inspiration he was searching for.
However, as fascination turns into obsession, the spirit of Candyman latches onto McCoy, taking on a new meaning of terror.
The acting in “Candyman” is phenomenal. With Mateen’s transformation from a struggling artist into the villain, Colman Domingo’s (playing William Burke) trauma and reliance on “Candyman” and Parris’ inability to escape her father’s shadow as an aspiring artist alongside him, the movie held its weight. With other strong characters like Cartwright’s brother, Troy, played by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett,provided comedic relief, about 85% of the movie kept me on my toes for what was next to come.
Now, let’s talk about the last 15%.
Although the movie holds strong for the majority of its runtime, the pacing at the end is jumbled. While “Candyman” is meant to signify vengeance against gentrification and white people, anyone who summoned him, including Black people, were slaughtered. The twist comes off as overtly predictable for viewers who have seen the original. And while much of the violence in the film is covert, it works at some parts but diminishes the true brutality of the sweet antagonist himself.
Additionally, modernizing a horror movie into themes of social justice with the repeated phrasings of “Say His Name,” “Tell Everyone” and even displaying police brutality on the screen may seem like a great way to reintroduce “Candyman” to a 2021 audience. However, it distracts from the sole purpose of the film: to scare. The undertones of “Candyman” were always about social justice, but shoving it as an overtone with the horror taking a backseat made the movie feel more like a lesson of American history rather than the horror sequel it was proposed to be.
Although I appreciated Tony Todd, the original Candyman, reprising his role, it wasn’t enough to properly wrap up the movie. Followed by a cut to black, the movie would have benefitted from extra explanation on the aftermath and some proper takeaways from the legend.
Overall, “Candyman” lived up to its hype and delivered on most of its promises. I enjoyed McCoy’s descent into madness and the surrounding characters’ reactions that amplified the terror. Although some of the storytelling falls a bit short and out of focus, it was a fun movie and a great way to get a good fright before Halloween.
Rating: B-
Edited by Elise Mulligan | emulligan@themaneater.com