Candyman

Candyman (2021)
	Rating: 5.9/10 (75,323 votes) Director: Nia DaCosta Writer: Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Nia DaCosta Stars: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Runtime: 91 min Rated: R Genre: Horror, Thriller Released: 27 Aug 2021
Plot: A sequel to the horror film Candyman (1992) that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began.

The 1992 film was one of the horrors that has stayed with me ever since I first caught it on release on the big screen. The impact of the urban myth used in the film – itself adapted from the novella by Clive Barker – was such that one of my friends at the time genuinely freaked out if any of us ever started saying the name Candyman into a mirror. That film, which smartly switched the Liverpool setting of Barker’s tale to the Chicago projects, using the horror tale to also shine a light on social issues caused by the rise of the ghetto, was a slow paced, haunting exploration of the origins and power of urban legends. It was followed by a pair of strong direct-to-home release sequels, and then simply vanished – the film series itself becoming a thing of legend (indeed many people I’ve spoken to recently were not aware of the sequels made, and some didn’t even know the existence of the original).

After two decades in development hell, we now have a true sequel to the first film, and whilst Jordan Peele’s name is all over the marketing as writer and producer, this is Nia DaCosta’s film through and through. Set in the same location as the original film, the Cabrini Green projects have now been long torn down and a new, upmarket development packed with artists and executives has risen. Living in this gentrified new housing apartment complex is Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul Mateen II), an aspiring and talented artist who is looking for the inspirational spark, and his girlfriend and gallery owner Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Paris). When an encounter with a long time resident of Cabrini Green reveals the dark secret legend of the Candyman, it inspires Anthony to start an art piece that explores the urban myth. But the legend has evolved over time, and Anthony’s exploration of the themes start up a new cycle of mysterious killings…

Immediately at the start of the film the presentation throws you off kilter – from the studio logos being mirrored, to the almost surreal backward tilted camera shot of the cityscape over the opening titles, a point of view that we don’t usually see from, and so it creates an eerie off kilter image. From that point onward, visual and audible choices continue to grow a style and indeed a presence to the film that worms into your head – from the stylish shadow puppet theatre backstories, to the music and background sounds, very reminiscent of the kind of unnerving creations often heard in J-Horror, or within game series’ such as Silent Hill. Avoiding the usual orchestral score, with cellos and violins sharply telling us to jump, instead this approach plays with your subconscious, and creates an unnerving sense of peril throughout.

The story itself is somewhat predictable and a tad formulaic – but isn’t that the point with an urban myth? And indeed, the film takes time to explore how the same myths can be rebranded for each era, telling essentially the same tale, but with small twists to make it relevant to the times. In this new film, whereas the first film explored the suburban ghetto and project, here more recent social issues (police brutality and race issues) are brought to shine a flashlight on, but never in an overly insistent and hammered home manner. No, this film smartly remembers to be a horror first, and social commentary second.

The horror is approached deftly – we see enough to chill, enough to creep, and enough to make us squirm on occasion, but we never dwell on the pain, suffering or infliction of violence. The attacks are not made to titillate or excite in the manner of something like the Saw series tends to lean, instead they are there to keep us off guard, whilst the core tale plays out.

Yahya Abdul Mateen II continues his rise to prominence in the industry with a compelling lead role, and he holds the attention well throughout. Ably supported by a range of cast, his journey plays out deftly over the short 90 minutes. As the film deconstructs the urban myth, and the power of suggestive redesign of legends, not a moment is wasted, and the whole film works marvellously both as a sequel, and a whole new take on the Candyman series. Once the end credits play out, with animated puppet shows of the various myths being portrayed, you are left with an uneasy sense, and pondering whether you dare say his name into a mirror yourself.