The new iteration of Candyman is a unique film that functions both as a direct sequel to the original 1992 film as well as a film that can stand on it's own. Filled with imaginative imagery and a compelling new story that both honors the original film and carves it's own path, this is one frightfully entertaining new addition to the Candyman legacy.
Anthony McCoy (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a visual artist working in Chicago and living with his girlfriend, art gallery director Brianna Cartwright (played by Teyonah Parris). One night, Brianna's brother Troy (played by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) is visiting with his boyfriend Grady (played by Kyle Kaminsky) and while waiting for dinner to be ready Troy enthralls the group with the urban legend of Helen Lyle, who had apparently gone on a killing spree through the Cabrini-Green projects before abducting a baby and attempting to sacrifice it before self-immolating in a massive bonfire. Interested in the story and searching for inspiration, Anthony decides to check out the remains of the old Cabrini-Green projects and it is there he meets a local laundromat owner, William Burke (played by Colman Domingo) who tells Anthony the story of Candyman and the fact that he can be summoned when someone looks into a mirror and says his name 5 times. Once summoned, he will kill whoever summoned them as well as anyone else in the room too. Inspired by the story, Anthony creates a series of paintings based on the legend. What begins as inspiration soon becomes obsession for Anthony as the legend begins to spread again, leading to a new wave of deaths.
The film was directed by Nia DaCosta from a script she co-wrote with Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. I was impressed with the way the three of them re-visited the iconic character of Candyman as well and the events of the original film showing how the events of that film have been filtered and warped through 30 years of storytelling to become a urban legend in it's own right. I love that DaCosta opted not to utilize footage from the original film for flashbacks but rather use shadow puppetry to portray the various legends told throughout the film. This is a great touch because it is not only a unique choice but adds a real spooky mood to the film as well. I also loved how the film showed how the urban legend had grown and changed over the years with different years adds some interesting new angles to the film. They then take it further, borrowing a page from the original film, using them to examine real world issues including racial violence and gentrification. No doubt some people will call this movie "woke" but they need to go back and watch the original again. The new film continues and builds on the same themes quite well, I thought.
The acting in the film is quite good led by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Anthony who does a great job portraying his character's increasing obsession with the titular urban legend and how it grows over the course of the movie as Anthony discovers more and more about his connection to those legends. Teyonah Parris also does well in a very well worn role in these types of movies as the concerned girlfriend but does a great job of making Brianna a smart and capable heroine in her own right. There's a great moment late in the movie when she's trying to figure out what's going on and opens a door to a dark basement. She takes one look, says "Nope!" and closes the door. It's one of the best laughs in the movie and she sells it perfectly. Colman Domingo also has a good turn as William Burke, who first sets Anthony on his journey in the story. There is something off about the character, still haunting the remains of Cabrini-Green and running this old run-down laundromat that seems a bit off. He really makes an impression with his short amount of screen time. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Kyle Kaminsky are delightful as well in the supporting roles as Brianna's brother Troy and his boyfriend Grady as both make the most of their screen time and create such an endearing couple.
Nia DaCosta's latest iteration of Candyman is one that manages to both be able to stand on it's own as well as function as a faithful sequel to the 1992 original film. I imagine anyone who knows the original film well, as I do, will have a different viewing experience with this film than someone coming in to it new, but that's ok. Either way you see it, it is still a genuinely frightening and fun film with maybe a little more weight to it than your average horror movie. Yet, it carries that weight well just like the original film did.
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