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Written by: Jordan Peele & Win Rosenfeld and Nia DaCosta (screenplay by), Bernard Rose (based on the 1992 motion picture entitled "Candyman" written by), Clive Barker (based on the short story "The Forbidden" by)
Directed by: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Vanessa Williams
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A sequel to the horror film Candyman (1992) that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began.
Verdict
It's an effective horror movie and certainly unsettling. The story can be a bit deceiving. The Candyman isn't just terror, it's a response to violence. It's backlash. When black people are senselessly killed, this figure appears. I like what the movie is trying to do, and I appreciate it gives me something to think about after the credits end. Few movies attempt that, and even fewer horror movies manage it. This does take a few shortcuts. Despite that, this isn't a movie I want to see again as it is disturbing. Not because it shows so much, but because of what it leaves to the imagination.
It depends.
Review
I have not seen the original, but I know enough about it to get most of the references. While this is a direct sequel, you don't need to have seen the original for this to make sense. It's basically standalone. Jordan Peele's last few movies have been horror movies with a message. He's very effective at that, while this one doesn't quite reach the levels of Get Out or Us, it's because this story seems more superficial.
This has quite the opening that establishes this as a horror movie. It's tense, but leaves a lot of the horror up to the imagination. I like how this movie builds the legend and history to bridge the gap between the movies. I also really like the paper cut out vignettes when discussing history, saving this from boring exposition. It's basically a recap which helps even if you've seen the first movie which was likely a while ago.
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| Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Anthony |
Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is the main character, an artist who is using the Cabrini Green projects as inspiration. He's stung by a bee at a visit, and the hardest part of suspending disbelief with this movie is his bee sting. It gets worse throughout the movie, to the point where it looks like his flesh is rotting away. He scratches at it, but doesn't seem worried. My skin began to crawl when they showed this wound as it worsened. The Candyman begins to appear, but I wasn't sure how or why. What was the catalyst? Is it Anthony, his bee sting? Why does Anthony wear a beanie all the time? It's these kinds of shortcuts that often make horror movie stories in particular flimsy. No one would look at that bee sting and not be worried. His arm looks like it's rotting away.
The horror certainly plays well. I like how this uses mirrors and reflective surfaces. Many horror movies want to show you everything and gross you out. This movie realizes that using your imagination and showing less creates a mood. The horror concept alone is great. Look in the mirror, say "Candyman" five times and he will appear. That action is part of many ghost stories because that alone is effective. It's unsettling just thinking about it.
All of my questions are answered by the end, but it's not very satisfying. Why has Candyman laid dormant all these years? I guessed where this was going ahead of time, not that it's a problem. The reason for the Candyman appearing happens just so we get this movie.
Peele has proven he can do unsettling with an impactful message with his other two movies. While he didn't direct this one, you can see his impact on the script. Unfortunately the script takes a couple of shortcuts.
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