Not quite a sequel, but still not a reboot, Candyman lands in theaters from Universal Pictures as what is being billed as a “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 Candyman. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars in the 2021 version, where Virginia Madsen was the lead of the early 90s incarnation that took us through the urban legend horrors that are rooted in African American history that all comes to a terrifying head in Chicago, Illinois.
Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman, The Trial of the Chicago 7) is Anthony McCoy, a local artist who suddenly gets thrown into the public zeitgeist when a piece of his work, entitled Say My Name, commences gaining attention when there is a grisly murder that occurs near the art installment which was inspired by the entity himself, Candyman.
There is much heaped on those broad shoulders of Abdul-Mateen II with the latest Candyman—and we are not solely centering the discussion on carrying the story itself. First and foremost, he has a character arc and story arc that are intertwined as tightly as narratively possible. Then, there is the fact that finds his Anthony McCoy serving as a “bridge” between the present and the past. It is that particular element of his casting that it appears the actor takes particularly seriously.
For those who need a reminder of what happened with Madsen and the horror show that was the genuinely frightening early 90s film that has permanently had us never looking at bees the same way again, Candyman 2021 does a fantastic job of grabbing its audience by the hand and through hauntingly artistic drawings, puppetry, and most importantly, our own memory.
It is that attention to detail that director Nia DaCosta firmly established (whose Little Woods was one of my favorite films of 2018) early on in her feature helming career and why it had to be a no-brainer for Marvel to hire her to lead The Marvels (the Captain Marvel sequel). She has a way of painting a picture of female relationships using the nuances that are brought to any situation that finds death on the table but is never outrightly described ad nauseum.
In the first film, something went down at the Cabrini towers (the projects) in the Windy City that is a continuation of an urban legend. There are some, who the mere mention of it strikes paralyzing fear. Others run to it like a moth to a flame, looking into that mirror and saying his name the required number of times—just to see what occurs! As our story picks up steam, Anthony has found love with a partner with who he is living within the currently gentrified Cabrini. It has been a decade since the last of the Cabrini towers were demolished and it only fitting that McCoy decides to catch up with a haunting that is literally something that haunts the past by infiltrating the present.
Whether it serves any of those desires you’ll just have to watch DaCosta’s movie (which was co-written by a master himself—Jordan Peele. But we can say this: Candyman is a deeply psychological rabbit hole that viewers will voluntarily tumble down from the get-go and see how this blight on the legitimate progress made by community leaders imploring locals to choose the right avenue for change versus the easy one.
DaCosta has made the most powerful of statements with her Candyman, the rare follow-up to something so beloved that in hindsight it is difficult to believe someone actually gave her the keys! In the process, she has delivered a statement about race relations in America that has the best of intentions with its ultimate goal, but how we get there has proven to be the source of endless debate while lives hang in the balance.
The helmer has a way with storytelling that is a gift. What is so fantastic about the latest Candyman is one does not have to be a fan of the first film, even seeing the first endeavor to understand the complexities of this world. Honestly, one does not even have to enjoy the horror genre to get the most out of DaCosta’s masterpiece.
Abdul-Mateen II’s evolution is a mesmerizing experience to behold. By his side, every step of the way as co-star, but so much more, is Teyonah Paris’ Brianna Cartwright. She too makes a talent announcement with Candyman that is seismic. Their relationship feels real, raw, exceedingly organic and that is pricelessly important. Without it, the inevitable evolution will be hollow. It must come from both sides of the coin and with these two thespians behind these characters, within 15 minutes of the film kicking into high gear, a cinematic appreciator will notice it immediately and get excited for the unpredictable pathway that lies ahead.
Candyman is the present that keeps on giving. If you had informed me leaving the theater in 1992 that decades later a “spiritual sequel” to it would successfully pick up the torch and take it in a direction that makes the first film even better, I would not have believed you.
As audiences grow exponentially and increasingly savvy from all that experience garnered over the decades from putting in the hours to properly dive into one’s hobby or craft, hearing the above is refreshing yes, but also at the same time, has got to send that anticipation meter for Candyman 2021 into the red.
There is over an hour of extras with the Candyman Blu-ray release. That’s a very good thing as horror fans cannot get enough of their milieu, so the more the merrier when it comes to behind-the-scenes insight—particularly for scary cinema.
The first thing the viewer should do after concluding your first watch of the Candyman Blu-ray is cue up that exclusive “Alternative Ending.” No spoilers here, but it is a fascinating turn for the film and gives us a unique perspective on the filmmaking choices of DaCosta.
Speaking of DaCosta, next dive into Body Horror. This featurette delves into the horror influences on the helmer—many will surprise. Of special note, we just treasure her comments and insight into Anthony’s physical evolution and how that affects the narrative itself. Also worth a view is The Filmmaker’s Eye: Nia DaCosta. The almost five-minute featurette features DaCosta waxing poetic about the original film and where it sits in her personal cinematic history. It’s an extremely informative chat by the filmmaker as one truly gets the sense of her movie mentality between this bonus feature and the previous one.
As one could probably discern from the title of this featurette, Say My Name is a concise and chilling look at the franchise and how having it put a mirror to today’s society was beyond a natural fit. It is perfection. Sadly, it is still timely… but the needle is moving.
Painting Chaos is a surprisingly entertaining and enlightening featurette that focuses on the entity of art and its place within the narrative structure and how it plays a major role in Candyman with Anthony’s artistic endeavors beyond revealing.
Fan of shadow puppets? Don’t miss Terror in the Shadows. This four-minute featurette puts a spotlight on the creation of shadow puppetry in the film. After experiencing this extra, don’t be surprised if you look at the film slightly differently and garner an appreciation for how something seemingly so simple as puppetry, can add countless layers of terror to an already thrilling tale.
The Movie Mensch adores it when bonus features take the time to salute the music. The score adds so much to any motion picture and that is certainly the case with Candyman. The Art of Robert Aiki Aubrey Low takes us behind-the-scenes with composer Low and the process undertaken to add those emotive layers sonically to accompany the visual goings-on.
Saving the best for last! Candyman: The Impact of Black Horror is a priceless, 20-minute roundtable on the rich history of black horror as Colman Domingo, Tananarive Due, Wendy Ashley, Yolo Akili Robinson, and Lorenzo Lewis’s knowledge, understanding, and ability to put cinematic history in perspective adds countless layers to the entire home video package that is the Candyman Blu-ray.
Film Grade: A-
Bonus Features: A-