Candyman 2021 review {SPOILER]

2021’s Candyman by Nia DaCosta is a direct sequel to the 1992 classic by the same name). I went in with sky-high expectations and I came out not knowing what to make of it. The one thing that I’m certain of is that I’m a bit disappointed. Yahya Abdul-Matteen II gives a strong performance as the lead, fully asserting himself as a star. My biggest critique lies with the writing. The story is disjointed, filled with plot holes, odd motivations, and inconsistencies with the mythos.

2021’s Candyman ignores the previous two sequels and follows the 1992 version about 30 years after the events of the first film. Adbul-Matteen II plays Anthony McCoy, the infant that Candyman attempted to immolate in the first film that Helen Lyle saved. McCoy is a painter who finds inspiration in the Cabrini-Green projects, specifically in the story of Candyman. McCoy receives a bee sting on his way to take pictures of the projects where murals of Candyman are displayed. The bee sting becomes an infection that encompasses his entire body, triggering McCoy’s transformation into Candyman.

I’m not sure if it’s the sting that curses McCoy or the connection between him and Candyman that spurs the metamorphosis. It’s implied that McCoy’s journey for Candyman opens the door letting the villain in, but this is left unsubstantiated. The implication is that McCoy is marked and his knowledge and subsequent research into the legend is the catalyst for his transformation but taking the film at face value could instead assert that it was a terrible coincidence and McCoy just so happened to be cursed. This is a pivotal point in the film, so the lack of clarity is frustrating.

The first half of the film is where it shines brightest. Candyman is at its best when it’s introducing the villain and establishing his mythology. The film does a great job of harkening back to the original and building upon its legacy. I think the film would have been much better if it went a different direction with the storyline than what it did. Connecting the infant from the first, as the protagonist in the current is good in theory but it played out disconcertedly. Like previously mentionaed, Anthony McCoy’s bewitchment was disjointed and wasn’t fully explained. The problem is that it all felt rushed. This tactic could have worked better if there were subtle hints at Candyman’s presence throughout McCoy’s life, but there weren’t. He goes from a completely normal guy to possessed without any rhyme or reason beforehand.

You can’t have Candyman without social/racial commentary. 2021 is almost as racially charged of a year as 1992 was, with alarming reoccurring instances of police brutality, over-policing, and racial discrimination, so the film is unfortunately still relevant and poignant as ever. Miss DaCosta touches on the previous topics as well as introducing new ones into her film, such as gentrification, social castes, and white complicity. A lot of quote un-quote “woke” films have been accused, by me included, 0f oversaturating their films with topics of social justice to the point that it’s a caricature. Candyman isn’t guilty of this. It introduces the topics but doesn’t beat you over the head reminding you that it’s “woke”. 2021’s Candyman goes a step beyond 1992’s and fully connects the legend with racism and police brutality. The elements are interconnected in the first, but they become fully intertwined in the current. DaCosta’s Candyman exists because of the tragedies inflicted on the black poor by the world around them. Now, why Mr. Candyman chooses to enact his vengeance on his own people is a question that I still cannot answer.

The second half of the film is where things go off the rails. Candyman possesses McCoy and frames him for some of the murders committed. Prior to this, McCoy met William Burke, a Cabrini-Green resident, who as a child had a terrifying encounter with Sherman Fields, a vagrant with a hook for a hand. Fields was accused by police of giving a white little girl candy with a razor blade in it. The police found and beat Fields to death. Fields was subsequently exonerated when more razor blades were found in other children’s candy. Cabrini-Green residents started the legend of saying Candyman in the mirror 5 times and Fields’ spirt would appear to murder whoever invoked him. Burke’s trauma didn’t end there as he also witnessed Fields as Candyman murdering his sister after she conjured him.

Burke is the secondary villain of the film. He desires to resurrect the legend of Candyman to enact revenge on those who have inflicted tragedy on his community. Candyman previously was a beacon of black trauma, but Burke seeks to use Candyman as a tool for vengeance. He kidnaps both McCoy and McCoy’s girlfriend Brianna, played by Teyonah Parris (Mad Men, WandaVision). Burke hacks off McCoy’s arm and replaces it with a hook to sell the frame. Burke intends to have the police arrive and shoot and kill McCoy so that he becomes another tragedy that can be used for the Candyman legend. Candyman is tied to black death at the hands of white supremacists, so Burke intends to frame McCoy to resurrect Candyman but this time he wants the vengeful spirit to punish the racists instead of brutalizing his own people.

This plan is kind of convoluted and doesn’t fully make sense, considering Candyman is already back and killing. Also, the spirit is autonomous and isn’t controllable. Also, is this a preconceived plan or did Burke come up with it on the fly after McCoy came back into the picture? Lastly, the plot takes some creative liberties. McCoy conveniently ends up in a dissociative state that isn’t shown onscreen. This explains how the older Burke is able to kidnap and restrain the young and fit McCoy. This is an example of bad writing where loose ends needed to be tied through convenient plot devices instead of a strong and cohesive plot.

There are a lot of liberties taken during the third act, but these pale in comparison to the scenes immediately after. Brianna escapes and is immediately chased by Burke. She’s caught and about to be killed when she’s rescued by McCoy who broke out of his trance just in the nick of time. This is the kind of dumb stuff that you see in horror films that’s just simply bad and lazy writing. Brianna stabs Burke to death and soon after, the police who Burke called in the previous scene, arrive and shoot and kill McCoy. While in the back of the police van, the officer attempts to intimidate Brianna into stating that McCoy attacked them and that the shooting was justified. In response, Brianna speaks into the mirror saying Candyman five times. Instead of killing Brianna for invoking him, Candyman kills the officers instead. On one hand, this complete Burke’s plan, but this completely contradicts the mythos of Candyman. Candyman isn’t a weapon that can be wielded in response to racial injustice. He’s a purely evil and fully autonomous spirit who built his legacy through the brutalization of his own people. I’m not one of those fans who are rigid and believe that stories need to remain static, but the changes need to make sense. Just because Burke wanted to weaponize Candyman doesn’t mean that it should happen. Doing this takes away from Candyman’s villainy and makes him more of a sympathetic anti-hero if he’s going to be transformed into a racist cop killer. Candyman was scary because he killed indiscriminately when conjured. Candyman is a purely evil entity who was killed by white racists, but his immense rage and pain led him to build a legend by murdering his own people. Turning Candyman into some sort of Black Punisher strips a lot of the spookiness away from him.

I’m critical of the film but I would still say that it’s better than average. Again, I had very high expectations that could have possibly been reached with different cinematic decisions and I think that’s the source of my angst. Visually, the film is impressive. There are some shots that reminded me of Midsommar. The cinematography is completely different between the two films, but Nia DaCosta took the same time Ari Aster did in making a visually sexy film. Candyman is very well acted and I’m happy that young black actors are becoming more and more bankable stars. The first half is very impressive and carries the movie. The first 40 minutes are dark, mysterious and tense. The investigative part of the film is the highlight of it, and I think that aspect should have been extended into the 2nd act. Candyman started killing too soon; the film could have been stronger if his appearance was delayed, and the anxiety and pressure was applied on to us longer. The crux of my criticism lies with the storyline. I’m cool with wanting to take the franchise in previously uncharted waters, but the decisions made aren’t in alignment with the Candyman mythos and the changes weren’t explored in-depth enough to justify them. Regardless - as a black man, I’m glad that Candyman exists and I hope that it makes a ton of money and continues to boost the careers of its black leads.

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-----5.9/10