Candyman
**This article contains SPOILERS!!
Public reaction to Nia DaCosta’s Candyman is split, as expected, given the subject matter of the film. I personally loved it. In fact, it far exceeded my expectations. I avoided all trailers and reviews in order to go in fresh and form my own opinions on the film and I am happy that I did.
In preparation for Candyman 2021, I binged the three existing entries into the franchise. The original is a masterpiece and I find myself loving it more every time I watch it. In 1992 I was only 11 years old and so my consumption and understanding of the film was limited to its similarities to the ‘Bloody Mary’ urban legend that was popular back then. We all said her name three times in a dark bathroom mirror and took our chances with imminent death. Candyman was an extension of that for us kids back then but of course now I understand it is so much more than that.
I can never profess to understand the racial nuances of the story because I am not African American but it always did strike me as odd that Candyman was killing the residents of Cabrini Green instead striking down the people or descendants of those responsible for the brutal execution of Daniel Robataille. I always thought it might make more sense with the Candyman being a vengeful spirit and that’s one of my favorite things about the new installment. I mean Candyman is still happy to pay a visit to people calling his name as a game but that final scene where Brianna calls on him for help is exactly what I always thought Candyman should be.
I love that Candyman is a conglomeration of black men unjustly executed. I love that in addition to being an unstoppable killer of a boogeyman that there is a collective conscious within him that is going to pursue justice on behalf of the victimized. I love that we can revisit the different men making up the Candyman in upcoming sequels for literally years to come! I love that the new film paid glowing tribute to the 1992 film and that the only thing they changed was that Robert Robataille was killed in Chicago instead of New Orleans (which makes complete sense to do). Also, Vanessa Williams absolutely slayed in her five minutes of screentime. What a fantastic way to tie this one to the first film!
My only confusion involved William Burke’s role. I presume he wants to keep the Candyman legend fresh and alive so he perpetrates the set up and execution of Anthony McCoy? I definitely need a rewatch to see if I missed something there. I also feel a lot of time was spent on Brianna’s father’s mental illness/ suicide with no real explanation to the seeming connection to Candyman in his art. Again, I’d need a rewatch to see if I missed anything. Other than that I have no cause for complaint.
The changes made to the story only expand on the mythology and that is always a smart move in the horror genre. I am happy to have “Farewell to the Flesh” and “Day of the Dead” retconned because frankly they were pretty lackluster films and literal photocopies of one another. I feel the direction that writers Jordan Peele, Nia DaCosta and Win Roenfeld are taking the story in will pay off handsomely in the future.
Nia DaCosta made a visually striking film that was profound, beautiful and disturbing. I left the theatre moved and excited to see what comes next. She did an amazing job. Well worth the wait to see it in theatres.